Broken
by Starlit Night
Summary: -Sequel to Dark Waters of Ecstasy-
1. 1: Breathe In

_She said, "Thanks but I'm broken  
I guess you must have misspoken.  
What a laugh, I've never been chosen by anyone."  
  
She was barely a teen  
Hanging out in between  
Just a part of the scene  
With mercurial smile  
And incurable style  
She was only a dream  
How's that  
He didn't know a thing about  
Making love to the kind of girl you read about  
  
He said, "I'm bound to be broken  
My daddy bet that I'd amount to nothing."  
He won't let anybody show him anything  
  
He was a troubled child  
Had been down for a while  
Always kept to himself  
No she couldn't defend  
He only wanted a friend  
Now he's made something else  
It's so sad, no one saw it coming  
The paper said that he hit the ground running  
  
Oh yeah  
I know I'm not broken  
A little cracked  
But still I'm not broken  
I wanna laugh but I think that I'm choking on reality  
  
When the  
World is turning for you  
Don't turn on me  
Who are you here to repair  
Well, I don't know what you mean  
You could never resist  
Glorifying despair  
Well now it's coming to you and I don't really care  
  
Well I'm not  
The kind to insist  
You couldn't have missed  
We must co-exist  
So please listen to me  
There is no such thing as human debris  
  
Oh yeah  
I know I'm not broken  
A little cracked  
But Dad, I'm not so nothing  
I wanna laugh  
I'm not joking  
  
I'm unbroken  
Oh yeah, I said I'm unbroken  
I said I'm unbroken  
A little cracked, it's just a token  
I'm really not broken  
What a guess- I'm unbroken_

__

_((Broken-Bad Religion))_

__

_---_

Harry sat back in his chair, placing his feet on his desk and staring up. Two minutes before class, first day back at Hogwarts, very first class of the day. Under normal circumstances, Harry would have been excited, anxious maybe, but now he was dreading the tick of the clock. Not only because it was a Slytherin/Ravenclaw seventh year class, but also because the Ravenclaw half of the class had Cosette Lestrange sitting in the front row.

Tick.

'One minute left,' Harry thought begrudgingly. '_Maybe if I feign insanity, they'll leave me alone. Or fire me. After this summer, seeing Cosette everyday will be torture.'_

Tick.

The doors stayed silent for a moment. '_Gods, I won't have to feign insanity. I will be by the time class is over,'_ Harry thought, sighing and standing up. He stood facing the window, his back to the door, desperately trying to regain composure before turning around. For a good ten minutes, he was silent, the class eventually quieting to an occasional whisper. When Harry finally did turn around, a pair of interrogating green eyes faced him.

"Er…yes, Miss Wooller?" Harry asked hesitantly. The Slytherin stood up, her dark blonde hair falling in neat curls almost to her waist.

"Shouldn't you be uh…" She paused, her voice like poisoned silk, "teaching us something, _Professor_?" She sat down, the boy on her left giving a satisfied smile. Harry nodded slowly.

"I thought I would keep the first day light," Harry said, his words coming easily despite his earlier nervous fit. "But since you insist, Regina, I suppose a nine hundred word essay on vampires due tomorrow would satisfy that need to learn." The class groaned, many giving dirty glares to Regina Wooller, who promptly shrunk into her seat. Harry stifled a grin and turned towards the blackboard, scrawling out the word RULES in white chalk. A few Slytherins complained loudly. Harry shot them a hard stare, and continued. "Right, so rule one: You in any way irk me, I take house points away and assign homework. If you don't, you keep on my good side and you step out of class without any assignments. Rule two," Pausing, Harry finished writing on the blackboard and turned around. "Just do what I say, and things will go well. Got it?" Most of the class nodded. "Great. Moving on…" And the lesson progressed, with only a few mishaps. At one point, a Slytherin mispronounced a spell and set a book on fire across the room, causing much excitement. Harry finished on time, with, "Forget the essay. Needless to say Miss Wooller learned something?" She nodded reluctantly. Just as the last few students were leaving, someone spoke up. A cool, feminine voice from the doorway, sending chills through Harry's veins.

"Professor? Can I talk to you a moment?" Harry looked up, meeting the icy cobalt of Cosette's eyes.

"Sure," Harry said, surprised at how nonchalant he sounded. "What did you need?" He heard the distant click of the door closing and turned, facing his student. She took a deep breath and looked behind her.

"I'm sorry."

"I know." Harry said softly. He turned away, clearing up a pile of papers on his desk. A burning started behind his eyes, threatening to spill tears, but never quite getting there. Cosette looked around, checking that the room was empty, and continued. "Harry, I just…"

"Professor. I'm your teacher, Miss Lestrange."

"Harry, don't do this…"

"Miss Lestrange," Harry started, turning around and looking down at her, his eyes impassively blank. "I am your teacher. Please respect my position as your instructor as I respect yours as my student. If this is not related to today's class, please leave." He turned around, pulling back a curtain and staring at the windswept landscape.

"Harry," started Cosette, "I…I…" He turned toward her, regarding her with indifference. She wiped furiously at her eyes, like one who cannot bear to cry might do. Harry turned away, and only when her footsteps started and the door slammed close, did he do anything. He sank to the floor, pressing his palms into his eyes. '_What have I done?'_ He asked himself, his own tears catching at the corners and leaking past his hands.

---

Cosette ran through the halls, not bothering to notice the worried glances her classmates were giving her. No one bothered to come close enough to comfort her- no one cared that much. Even in a castle full of people, she was still utterly alone. Tears blurred her vision, but only when she felt like she couldn't breathe did she turn a corner and stop. Leaning against a wall, Cosette wiped her eyes and slid to the floor. Her breathing evened and she looked at her hands. They were shaking and white. Disgusted at herself, she pressed them into the floor so hard the stone cut into her palms, little pools of blood collecting in the cracks. She closed her eyes again, willing her mind to stop spinning. Any minute now, she'd have to stand up and go to class. She had forgotten which class she was going to next, but at that point, it didn't matter. She might be able to get a pass from Madam Pomfrey, considering her hands needed healing. Cosette stood up slowly, the blood pounding in her head, causing her vision to blacken. Catching herself against the wall, she steadied and walked slowly toward the infirmary. The door was open, and no one, it seemed, had been there yet. Madam Pomfrey came over soon after Cosette stepped in.

"It's only the first day back. What could you possibly have done so soon?" The nurse asked, leading Cosette to a chair in the middle of the room.

"I fell," She lied quietly. "I need a pass to my next class."

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "Of course, dear. Now, sit still. This might sting a bit," She ran a swab of cotton soaked in a curious purple potion over the cuts. Cosette barely noticed the searing pain as her wounds closed themselves, nor did she really notice when the nurse gave her a slip of parchment and sent her to Herbology. The crisp September air whipped about the ground, tossing her black-blue hair around her face. Walking across the lawns made Cosette feel as if she were waking up from a deep sleep; she hadn't responded to anything, it seemed, until now. Pushing open the doors to the Greenhouse, she stepped inside and handed Professor Sprout the parchment. After signaling for Cosette to sit down, Sprout continued; however, Cosette paid no attention. Her thoughts drifted out of her head and floated on a breeze over the grounds.

---

Harry continued to sit dejectedly on the floor for quite some time. He only had one other class that day, third year Gryffindors, which wasn't until after lunch. He could afford some time alone. Wrapping his gray wool cloak around his shoulders, Harry walked outside. The warm September sunshine warmed the grounds, but Harry couldn't seem to shake the cold. Pulling the cloak tighter, he continued down to the Forbidden Forest. There was a small break in the trees; hardly noticeable if you didn't know it was there. Harry ducked under a low branch and followed the short dirt path to the cemetery. It hadn't changed much since Harry had last been there in August; the dirt over the graves was just starting to grow green with grass, the flowers that had been laid near the tombstones were wilted and dead. Harry's feet took him to an unusual grave: in the sea of the black and gray tombstones of Death Eaters, a polished white marble marker stood out. Kneeling by the pale green shoots, Harry ran his hands over the inscription. Sighing, he sat back on his heels, wiping a rogue tear from his cheek. '_Gods, I wish you were here, Sirius,'_ Harry thought sadly. '_I've made a real mess of things. You'd know what to do. You always did.'_ Shaking his head to clear his mind, Harry stood up and shoved his hands in his pockets. A faint sound from somewhere off to Harry's left called his attention. Turning, he saw a silhouetted figure, cloaked in black, kneeling by a gravestone. Harry walked over and stood behind her.

"Hey," He whispered, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. The woman instinctively tensed under his touch, but said nothing. Harry's eyes ran over the inscription on the marker.

Pierre de Montmorency

1951-1999

J'ai été pris à la vallée de mort

Mais je ne craindrai rien

Comme je celui suis avec les âmes noircies

Qui dort là-bas

"My father was killed in the battle." The woman spoke softly, sadly. Her voice held a faint French accent. Harry vaguely wondered if she knew Cosette. "I barely knew him."

"I'm so sorry." Harry sighed, removed his hand from her shoulder and ran it through his hair. "I lost someone close to me in battle, too. He might as well have been my father." The woman stood up, wiping at her eyes with a handkerchief she was holding.

"I'm sorry too." She turned around to face Harry. He meant to say something, anything, but his breath caught in his throat. She was about his height, maybe a little shorter, with cascades of wavy golden blonde hair to her waist. The sun had bronzed her skin, offsetting her brilliantly bright blue-green eyes and her dark scarlet lips. She smiled weakly. "Aren't you the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Harry could only nod. "I'm Rhiannon de Montmorency, the new Potions teacher." Harry held out his hand and Rhiannon hesitated in giving up hers. Leaning down, but never breaking his gaze on Rhiannon's eyes, which were so like his own, he gently kissed her fingers.

"Harry Potter." He introduced himself quietly, with a sort of resigned shyness. Rhiannon smiled more boldly.

"Lunch is just about half over. Come with me?" Harry nodded. The two walked up to the castle in silence, not sure what to say to the other. Stealing glances at her every so often, Harry concluded that she was probably the most conventionally gorgeous woman he had ever met. Cosette's beauty was classic and romantic, but Rhiannon had the kind that could make you stop dead in your tracks. Sighing, Harry ran a hand through his hair. He was forever doomed to fall in love with the girls he couldn't have. First Cho, then Hannah, then all those other girls in between, then Cosette…with a start he realized Rhiannon and he had reached the doors. Quickly opening it for her, he slipped back into his reverie. Gods, did he ever miss Cosette. She seemed so eager to talk to him earlier, but he wouldn't. He couldn't. He promised himself he'd never let someone hurt him again.

"Harry?" Rhiannon said softly. He turned toward her, surprised that she had taken his arm and was leaning toward him. Their faces were inches apart, and to his amazement, Harry didn't mind at all. "We're here." Blinking and looking around, Harry realized they were, in fact, in the Great Hall. He nodded, took a deep breath and went to sit down. Rhiannon kept holding his arm and sat down next to him at the teacher's table.

"So," Harry said while pouring Rhiannon and himself some pumpkin juice, "Tell me about yourself." Rhiannon raised an inquiring eyebrow.

"What would you like to know?"

"Well," Harry raised a spoon of tomato soup to his lips and blew softly on it to cool it. "Where are you from?"

"Originally France. After my father became a Death Eater, we moved back to England, but I still attended Beauxbatons." Rhiannon smiled and took a bite of her salad. "I moved to London after I graduated four years ago. Professor Durmbleydont-"

"Dumbledore," Harry interrupted. When Rhiannon shot him a questioning look, he cleared his throat and said, "I think you mean Professor Dumbledore."

"Oh, yes. When Professor Dumbledore,"-she smiled- "Offered me this job, I simply couldn't refuse. I've always loved Potions."

"I can't stand it." Harry laughed.

"I would ask about you, but I'm afraid I already know." Rhiannon's lips curled into a playful smirk. Harry shrugged, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"I get that a lot." He turned to watch as the students filtered out of the Great Hall on the way to classes. "I better get going. I've got a class in ten minutes."

"Adieu!" Rhiannon leaned over and placed a featherweight kiss on each of Harry's cheeks. He blushed despite himself.

"See you," He called, waving and leaving the hall. On his way up the stairs, Harry smiled to himself. '_It seems as if I've had a change of fortune,'_ he thought. '_Maybe this relationship will turn out for the better.'_

_---_

Cosette mounted the stairs to her dormitory slowly that night. She had spent the past four and a half hours sitting in the common room, watching the fire slowly cool to embers and finally to ash. She was so confused lately, with Harry and school starting and everyone knowing about her and her connection with the battle…nothing seemed to fit for her this year. She paused, her hand on the doorknob. More than anything she wanted to be able to run away, pack her trunks and get on a train. It didn't matter where the train ended up, just as long as she could be on one that was heading very far away from England and wasn't planning to stop until next year. Sighing in resignation, Cosette opened her door and lit a candle on her nightstand. She had learned long ago running from your problems didn't fix them. It usually made them worse. Cosette slipped out of her robes and into a white cotton nightgown. Sitting by her mirror, she combed and braided her hair. It was past her waist now, a shimmering blue-black cape. She sighed and stood to look at herself. She was 'petite,' as her mother used to say. Five feet two inches tall, just over one hundred pounds. On the skinny side of slender. Her eyes were dark cobalt blue, a color her brother used to say looked like the midnight sky. They used to be an intense violet, but they had changed when she became an animagus. All in all, she was a rather attractive girl. Cosette herself had never thought so, but no one had ever told her she was pretty, excepting her brother. At the thought of Edan, Cosette caught her bottom lip between her teeth in an effort to keep from crying. After almost five months, her brother's death still hurt. She had no one after that, until she met Harry. He reminded her so much of Edan, but he was so much his own person. So giving, so selfless. He was everything a girl could hope for, but she had to go and mess that all up. Silently cursing her own stupidity for the millionth time, Cosette blew out the candle and drifted into an uneasy sleep.

---

Harry sat at his desk the next morning, his feet on a pile of papers and a book open in his lap. Class would be starting in four minutes. Yawning, Harry snapped the book shut and tossed it into a drawer. He had no idea what his lesson would be about today, but he figured he could come up with something. Maybe he could teach them how to conjure Patronus'. He had learned in third year, but Remus Lupin had tutored him on the side. The doors opened and students filed in, taking their seats and quietly talking. When he heard the door click shut, Harry started.

"All right. How many of you know how to produce a Patronus?" At first, not a single hand was raised, but then very hesitantly, Cosette put her hand in the air. Breathing a very short lived sigh of relief, Harry nodded. "Miss Lestrange, would you like to demonstrate?" Cosette stood up, silently walked to the front of the room, and held her wand out. Briefly meeting Harry's eyes, she took a deep breath.

_"Expecto Patronum,"_ she whispered, and instantly a silvery eagle flew from the tip of her wand. It soared around the room before landing on the windowsill and evaporating. Scattered applause issued from the class.

"Excellent, Miss Lestrange. Ten points to Ravenclaw." Harry hoped to see Cosette smile at him as he handed her a piece of chocolate, but her gaze merely drifted over him unseeingly as she moved back to her seat, disregarding his offering. Harry put the chocolate back on the tray for the other students, briefly wondering if seeing the eagle had reminded Cosette of Edan, and consequently made her disconsolate. "All right class, lets try some of these. Hmm…Regina Wooller. Come up here." Regina looked startled, but quickly regained composure. "Now, I want you to think of the happiest moment in your life. Concentrate on that one moment really hard. Got it?" She nodded. Harry smiled faintly. "Now say the spell."

_"Expecto Patronum!"_ Regina said quietly. A faint silver cloud emanated from her wand before disappearing. Harry sighed.

"You need to concentrate harder." Harry instructed. For the next forty minutes, Harry helped each student, excepting Cosette, work on conjuring a Patronus. When the clock finally ticked the last time, some students were hesitant to leave. "Miss Lestrange," Harry called over the clamor of students. "Can I speak with you a moment?" Cosette took a deep breath and walked to the front of the room.

"Yes, Professor?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were all right, after the Patronus." Harry ran a hand through his hair. He had no idea what compelled him to talk to Cosette, but he couldn't back out now.

"I'm fine, Professor." '_Oh, Gods,'_ Cosette thought. '_Why did he have to do this?'_

"Oh," Harry said, feeling minutely put out. "Okay then. Thank you for demonstrating."

"You're welcome." Cosette turned away and Harry suddenly wanted to make her face him again, make her explain everything. But the moment passed, and Cosette was gone. Harry ran the back of his hand across his eyes. He shouldn't care. And as he packed up his things, he decided that he wouldn't. Nothing would be the same as before, anyway. Why bother? He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked into the corridor and down the stairs. He had enough to worry about as it was; he really didn't need Cosette. At that moment, Harry even convinced himself that he really didn't want Cosette either. He had Rhiannon now, after all.

---

Cosette sat alone in Potions, bent over her notes from last year. It was their first class, and the rest of the students were chattering excitedly about the new teacher, whom Cosette had not yet met. Unaware of the woman walking in through a door in the back of the room, Cosette only knew when class started from the sudden resonating silence in the dungeons. She looked up and met the bright green eyes of Rhiannon.

"Hello, darling. Studying a bit too hard for the first class, I'd say." Smirking, she walked to the front of the room. "Afternoon, class. My name is Professor Montmorency." At the mention of her last name, Cosette looked up, furrowing her brow. Her name sounded vaguely familiar, but Cosette quickly dismissed it. Probably some student at Beauxbatons had shared the name. Looking up, Cosette attempted to focus on what the professor was saying, but failed miserably. She had finally fallen asleep at around three in the morning, but woken up several times. She finally gave up and started to get ready for classes three hours later. The class seemed to drag on for endless minutes, but when the clock finally did signal it was time to go, Cosette felt she had not been there quite long enough. As the Ravenclaws left the dungeons to go to lunch, Cosette watched as the groups clumped together. Seeing how the groups of friends talked excitedly together threw into sharp relief the fact that Cosette herself still had no friends. Sure, she got along well enough with the girls in her dormitory, but none of them she felt she could talk to. Sighing, she changed directions and headed toward the library. It was bound to be abandoned. It was, after all the second day of classes and none of the teachers had assigned anything meriting a trip there. Just as Cosette reached the door and began to push it open, a very familiar voice rang out behind her.

"Don't you think you should be in the Great Hall, Miss Lestrange?" Cosette spun around, the ghost of a smile teasing her lips.

"Draco!" She exclaimed, rushing over and giving him a hug. The older man smiled. "Why are you here?"

"I took my father's position as one of the school's governors. Hermione's idea. She said we should try to polish our name again, considering Lucius' bad reputation with the school board. " He smiled. "So, how are you, Cosette?" He asked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and accompanying her into the library to talk.

She shrugged. "It's been a hard year so far, what with the aftermath of the battle and Harry…" Her voice trailed off.

Draco furrowed his brow and titled his head in question. "What do you mean 'Harry'?"

Sighing, Cosette sat down. "Well, I tried to talk to him, to sort things out and make amends, like Hermione told me to. But he wouldn't listen. He just brushed me off and said that I was his student and our relationship should be strictly based on that fact." Tucking a strand of hair behind her left ear, she shrugged. "I guess that means he hates me?"

"Not necessarily," Draco said softly. "But you really hurt him, Cosette. Harry loved you. He still might, I don't know. It'll take some time for his wounds to heal. Harry's got a unique way of looking at things. He doesn't give second chances. You hurt him once, you never get the opportunity to do it again. It's how he protects himself."

"He gave you a second chance." Cosette protested, but the usual fervor had drained from her voice.

"Not really. He let me prove myself, and he only did that because he had to. Hermione means a lot to him, and if I was a part of her, well…I was consequently a part of him." Cosette sighed.

"I wish I didn't love him." Draco closed his eyes and pulled Cosette closer to him.

"You can wish all you want, and things will never change." Draco whispered. A tear found its way down Cosette's cheek, landing on Draco's shirt and creating a small circle of water. "Oh, Cosette." He said softly. "I know this is hard, but you have to accept that things between you and Harry are different now. You'll never be quite so close because he'll keep pushing you away."

"I know." Cosette sighed, looking up at the clock. "I have to go. Charms." Standing up, she grabbed her bag and placed a soft kiss on Draco's cheek. "Thanks."

"Anytime, Cosette." Draco smiled, and stood to escort her to class. The pair didn't really talk much as they made their way through the halls. Cosette inquired about Hermione, Draco asked about classes. Small talk. Before leaving her, Draco bent down and gave Cosette a hug. "Come visit over the holidays." He offered.

"Of course." Cosette smiled and went inside. Professor Flitwick wasn't there yet, so Cosette picked a seat near the back and took out her book and wand. Absentmindedly, she twirled her wand: eleven inches, holly, quite supple, a unicorn hair core. The door soon banged open and a rush of talkative students filled the classroom, followed by the professor. Slipping into a daydream, Cosette failed to pay attention to the class as Flitwick explained a new charm. She probably knew it already anyway.

---

"So, class, can anyone tell me what a boggart is?" Harry struggled with his near-silent class of third year Gryffindors. "Oh, come on." He mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "Doesn't anyone pay attention?"

A small, mousy looking boy in the third row tentatively raised his hand. "Don't boggarts live underwater and try to drown swimmers?"

"No," Harry said with a sigh. "That would be a grindylow." Quickly glancing at the clock, Harry tried not to smile. "Class is over. You can all go now." There was a general rustling before silence. Harry sank gratefully into his chair and closed his eyes. The door opened. It closed. More silence. Harry assumed a student had forgotten something and come back to get it, but there were no more footsteps. No sounds at all. _And,_ Harry thought, _the door would have closed twice._ Warily, he opened one eye.

"What…?" He trailed off, startled, opened his other and sat up. "Why are you here?"

"Hermione's idea. I took Lucius' place as a school governor. Trying to make people think of the name 'Malfoy' in a slightly better fashion, after what Lucius did in second year. " Draco shrugged. Harry leaned back again and sighed. Draco pulled a chair up from behind a desk and sat across from Harry. "How've your first two days been?"

"Hell." Harry answered shortly. "I'm so ready for the holidays." Draco smirked. Harry scowled.

"You coming up to the Manor for Christmas?" Draco asked, trying not to laugh too much.

"Is Cosette going to be there?"

"Maybe. Why?" Draco asked.

Harry sighed. "I think she hates me." Draco gave him a confused glance. Harry ran his hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "She came up to me yesterday. I don't know why, I assumed just to talk, work things out. But she hurt me so much…I just don't want that to happen again. So I told her to leave. And today in class, she stared at me so indifferently." His words were broken and ragged. "I thought by pushing her away, I'd protect myself from getting hurt again. Seems as if I'm hurting more now that she's gone."

Draco ran his fingertips over his eyes. "I talked to Cosette earlier, before I came here."

"Oh, no." Harry whispered. "She really does hate me, doesn't she?"

"I don't know." Draco said truthfully with an elegant shrug. "She's all mixed up about you. I won't betray her words, but I think you two should talk."

"I can't." Harry slumped against the back of his chair: the stance of a defeated man. "I've never been one for communication."

"Seems as if you're doing fine right now." Draco said pointedly. Harry shrugged. "Look," Draco stood, brushing off his cloak and pushing the chair back behind the desk, "I have to go. My only advice is to get things sorted out before something really awful happens." Harry nodded.

"Thanks, Draco."

"Anytime." The door opened and shut almost silently behind him. For a moment, Draco paused just outside the door, reflecting. Not long after, however, a woman who looked to be about twenty sashayed by and into Harry's classroom. Draco considered following, but shook his head and left instead.

---

Harry had just decided to go and find Cosette when the door swung open. Briefly thinking it was Draco, Harry stood up and opened his mouth to tell him, but was cut off mid-breath.

"Hello, Harry." The girl said softly. Harry blinked.

"Hello, Rhiannon. Anything you needed?"

"No, I just wanted to say hello." Rhiannon gave him a playful smile, full of teases and taunts. "I'm afraid I don't know many people here at Hogwarts, and the dungeons can get quite lonely." Harry smiled slightly.

"I was just going to go up to my rooms and unpack a bit more." Hesitating, Harry took a deep breath and plunged forward. "You're welcome to come." Rhiannon's eyes twinkled and she smirked.

"I'd love to." Harry smiled and linked arms with the blonde. They made their way up two flights of stairs and down three corridors before finally reaching a thick wooden door. Harry broke contact with Rhiannon and pulled a key from his pocket. Unlocking the door, he stepped back to allow Rhiannon to step into his room first.

"I'm afraid it's still rather messy, but I've been so busy…"

"Shh…" Rhiannon said, placing a delicate hand over his mouth. "It's fine." As she dropped her hand, Harry felt her dark red nails brush against his cheek. The caress made his skin prickle. Rhiannon took off her top robe, pulled her curls into a ponytail, and smiled. Harry couldn't help but return the gesture. He offered her a chair, into which she curled up and watched as Harry pulled things from his trunks and placed them into drawers.

"I'm sure this is all very boring for you." Harry apologized. "I'm almost done. We could go for a walk if you'd like."

"I think I'd like that." Rhiannon said. Her eyes were half closed over her striking jade eyes. The effect was quite alluring, Harry decided. In a few minutes, Harry had finished and smiled.

"Done." He declared proudly. Rhiannon laughed and pulled her robes back on. Harry escorted her to the front doors and pushed them open. A gust of cool September air rushed in. The two walked outside and towards the lake, with mild conversation about backgrounds and teaching and friends.

"It was really odd, though, to see my best friend marry the person we all hated."

"Apparently she didn't hate him as much as you all believed." Rhiannon smirked.

"Oh, no." Harry said. "She hated him just as much as we did until seventh year. He made some sort of deal or something…It's confusing. But he turned out to be a pretty decent guy." Harry gestured for Rhiannon to sit and then placed himself beside her. The sky was gray and the wind was blowing harshly. "How about you?" Harry asked. "Tell me about your friends from Beauxbatons."

"What can I say? I had the normal sort of friends. I had the most wonderful boyfriend, though. He was handsome as anything, and had spirit to go with it. I sometimes believe he could have done anything." Her gaze drifted onto the water, choppy and dark.

"What happened with you two?" Harry asked hesitantly. He didn't want to hear that she had been hurt by him, but very much so wanted the relationship to have ended.

"He was killed." Rhiannon said shortly, taking a harsh breath and blinking.

"I'm so sorry."

"Most people were." Rhiannon shrugged. "I got over it. He was a great man, but knowing he's dead isn't any different than leaving him back in France while I came here." Harry nodded, thinking to himself that it would be very different for him. The two drifted into comfortable silence, and the rain that had been threatening them all day began to fall. Rhiannon stood up, pulled her hair out of it's tie and twirled. Harry smiled. Pulling him up, she did another twirl and laughed. Harry watched her closely, reveling in her happiness. She stopped, pulled Harry close to her, and gave him a firm kiss on his lips. The world was suddenly spinning as if he, too, had been twirling. She pulled away, raindrops clinging to her eyelashes and smiled. Harry couldn't help but smile back.

---

Cosette stood at the edge of the walkway, looking down the two hundred odd yards to the base of the tower. With only her heels placed on the deep grey stone, she was balancing precariously, somewhere between flying and falling, living and dying, caring and just not giving a damn anymore. She could vaguely depict two people near the lake, two black splotches against the faded grass and ruffled waters. There was a group huddled under a tree in the courtyard to her right, and to her left lay the forest. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and spread out her arms. She could smell the rain, that earthy smell that seeped into your clothes and your hair and made everything heavy with humidity. When the first drop splattered on the floor beneath her, Cosette retreated. With each droplet, she took another step until her back was pressed against the tower. She slid down the wall and sat in a ball. She would leave her decisions for tomorrow. Right now, all she really wanted was a mug of peppermint tea and a book. And forty minutes later, that was precisely what she had, curled up in a large purple chair by the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room. A knock soon came on the window behind her, and a bright white owl flew in. Cosette recognized the owl as Hedwig and cooed softly to her while she read the letter. It was written on a scrap of parchment in Harry's untidy scrawl. _Eastern edge of the lake, tomorrow at midnight. -HP_ Cosette felt a surge of emotion bubble into her throat, but swallowed anything that threatened to escape. She sent Hedwig off with a bit of biscuit and tucked the letter into her book.

---

Harry picked up his wand, muttered a charm, and blinked as the room around him lit up with candles. Rolling over, he smiled. Rhiannon lay next to him, smiling in her sleep, her golden blonde hair strewn across the pillow. Harry felt drugged; his brain was fuzzy and he couldn't seem to form any coherent thoughts, or figure out why he was lying naked in bed with such a gorgeous girl. While he was pondering this and how to make the perfect peanut butter sandwich, Rhiannon woke up. She smiled lazily and kissed him.

"Have a good rest?" She asked softly, her voice still laced with poison and something Harry's wandering mind couldn't place. He nodded. She wrapped her arms around Harry's neck and drew him in for another long kiss. It took Harry a moment to respond, but when he did, he pushed her away. Rhiannon arched an eyebrow in a look of mock hurt. "Anything wrong?" She asked innocently.

"No," Harry said, and running a hand though his tousled hair, sat up. "And that's the problem. I feel like there should be something wrong about this and there isn't." Rhiannon smiled and sat up next to him, her hands running down his back.

"Guilty pleasure," Rhiannon whispered, her voice softly seductive. Harry's eyes fluttered before he made himself stand and get dressed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rhiannon." And with that he left.

---

A/N:: Yes, I'm alive. And yes, this is an actual chapter, not soem cheap imitation. I'm so sorry this took so long to come out...I've been really busy. There's not much to say...review please, and email me with questions. If you want email updates, leave your email address in the review or email me. I will not hunt down the address for you. Anyways, I hope you liked it. I love you all. Especially Yocheved, who is my GODDESS. I love you sweetheart.


	2. 2: When You Have Gone Away

The castle was very dark and very cold at three fourty-five in the morning, Harry decided as he pulled his cloak tighter around him. He was glad that it was Saturday. Every since he had woken up, his body had been aching in the worst way. Turning a corner, Harry paused and leaned against the wall. His muscles all ached, his throat was tight, his lungs kept contracting around his breaths. Worst of all was the searing headache that threatened to split his head in two. If he turned out like Zeus, he was certain that it would be Rhiannon that would emerge from his wound. Taking as deep a breath as he could manage, he started again. His rooms were very cold, too. He lit a candle on his dresser. The mirror behind it reflected the light back against his figure, making the room seem much brighter. The orangey-yellow light washed over everything, giving the faux appearance of warmth and life, and as Harry stripped himself, he caught a glimpse of himself in the midst of all that colour. His pale white skin seemed to be straining to cover all of his bones, which poked out and revealed themselves everywhere. He sat down in front of the mirror and studied his face. The same thick rimmed black glasses- he took them off and tossed them aside. His eyes peered out warily from behind his hair, which hung limply in his face. Bruise like purple smudges shadowed his eyes. It occurred to him then how little sleep he had gotten lately. He bit his lip, hard, and stood up. Pulling on a white cotton tee shirt and blue flannel pants, he hid himself under his covers and waited to get warm.

xxx

Cosette, almost dreading nightfall, spent her morning and early afternoon reading. She really didn't retain any of it- her mind was working much too fast to focus on the black and white pages. Eventually, around four thirty-seven, she got up. Much too fast, she soon learned, as her vision blackened and she started to fall. Reaching out, she grabbed at anything, and pulled herself up. When she could see again, she let go of the doorknob she had been clutching, and started towards the kitchens. Harry had shown her where they were when she was here last year, just in case she needed anything. She managed to find her way to the painting, but had to think for a few moments before remembering that she had to tickle the pear. As soon as she was inside, however, she almost lost her balance again as a few house elves rushed toward her. Most were busy preparing supper, but Cosette had already decided to get something to munch on, and skip dinner. They sent her upstairs with a pot of tea, seventeen crackers, and some jam. She started chewing on a cracker, but soon abandoned it. She had turned away from the main staircase and opted for a back way, but she heard someone humming from up the spiral staircase. Quickly ducking behind them, she watched as Professor Binns floated down and through the wall. Looking after him oddly, Cosette shook her head and started towards her room. Most of the students had gone to dinner early, so she started a fire, grabbed her book, and started reading out loud.

"Chapter One. Fools and Fires."

xxx

Harry had just decided that he was going to ask Dumbledore if he could go see Ron on Sunday when Hedwig flew through the window, dropping a letter in his lap. He fingered the rough paper, before sliding his finger through the purple wax seal and unfolding it.

"Dear Harry-" he started, but was interrupted quite abruptly. Rhiannon threw the door open and entered with a flourish. She was in jade green satin robes, and had her hair half up, held together with chopsticks. Harry wet his lips nervously and swallowed hard. She came over, and sat on his desk, her feet, in black heels, resting on either side of his legs. Leaning down so that her robe dipped open, she batted her lashes.

"Hello, Harry. Hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"'Course not, Rhiannon," he said, swallowing again. His throat was dry, his muscles tensed. "Just reading a letter. I think it's from Cosette."

"Oh, let's not think about her now," Rhiannon pleaded in a whisper, taking the letter and hiding it behind her. She let herself fall into his lap, straddling him, and gave him a teasing kiss. "Please? I'd rather just…not talk…at all…" She drew her words out, punctuating them with more kisses. Harry pulled her closer. He didn't know why. He barely knew her. He had a strong feeling, though, that it had something to do with his loneliness and her perfume.

xxx

_The room was lit only by a scattering of candles, their wax dripping off the holders and landing in pools on the cold stone floor. The door slammed open, causing the flames by the door to flicker violently. A woman strode inside and kicked the door closed behind her. She was wearing black silk robes, and bright scarlet lipstick. The men, who until now had been still and silent, started moving and whispering. One popped the cork from a bottle of wine and handed the woman a glass of deep red Bordeaux. She sipped the liquid and took a seat near the center of the room. The men gathered around her anxiously, and waited in silence while she took another drink. _

_"I assume you want them both," she said smoothly, running a finger up the shaft of her glass. "One for vengeance, and one for restoration." The men nodded._

_"Are you willing to help us, ma cherie?" an older man asked. She nodded._

_"Of course I'll help you," she smiled. "But you'll have to use something else as bait. The second won't take it. We'll need a lure for them both."_

_"Like what?" the man to her immediate left asked. "We've planned this out for weeks; nothing else seems to work."_

_The woman paused to take another swig of her wine. "That is why I'm willing to help, darling." She cupped the man's face in her hand, her crimson nails scraping his skin ever so delicately. "I've found you someone else."_

Ron shot up, his breathing shallow and quick. Why was he seeing this? Who were they? Standing up, he grabbed his shirt from the floor and his wand from the table. He figured he could go see Harry. He was always willing to listen and to help with his prophetic dreams. However, he would wait till morning. Waking Harry up in the middle of the night was never a good idea. Going to his kitchen and pouring himself a glass of water, Ron replayed the dream in his head. Some of them looked familiar, but he couldn't place them for anything. Maybe he was just really very tired. Promising himself that he'd go back to Hogwarts as soon as he woke up, he resigned himself to the ever so welcoming pillows and blankets of his bed.

xxx

She knew he would do this. How could she have ever trusted him to forgive and maybe even forget? He was still just a boy- a lost, lonely, and exceedingly scared little boy. After an hour of waiting in the cold drizzly night, Cosette was ready to leave. He wouldn't come out now, she was sure. Still…something made her stay just a few more minutes, another half an hour…and then she saw him. A dark figure coming around a few trees.

"Finally," she breathed, starting towards him. She was about four meters away from him when she stopped abruptly. That wasn't Harry. Whoever it was had long, shiny hair, and walked with shorter strides, and carried themselves with a lot of pride. Reaching for her wand, Cosette realized all too late that she was just that…too late. Her limbs were frozen, and her vision was starting to blacken. Maybe this was just another fainting spell…she would get over it…she knew she could if she could only get some more air…

xxx

It was very early Sunday morning when Harry was awoken by a stiff rapping on his door. For the second time, he found his arms wrapped around the bare form of Rhiannon. Blinking a few times, he tried to remember exactly what had happened the night before, but the someone wanting to see him was persistent. He grabbed his jeans from the floor and was pulling his tee shirt on when he opened the door. Albus Dumbledore stood there, looking at him with worry and just a little bit of disdain. Harry looked down- of course Albus knew about Rhiannon and him. But, almost unfortunately, that wasn't what he had come to discuss.

"Harry," he started, his voice sounding strained and old. "There's been a terrible tragedy. We need to talk to you and all the other teachers about this, and then we'll be announcing this during breakfast. Please wake Rhiannon up and meet us in my office." Nodding, Harry closed the door and Albus walked away. He had a feeling about this one- that this was much worse than a troll in the girls lavatory, and maybe even worse than someone being petrified. Stifling the sickening coldness that had started to spread through his limbs, he woke Rhiannon up and told her to get dressed. They needed to see Albus. She stretched, complained about the early hour, and threw on her robes.

As they were walking to the Headmaster's office, she linked her fingers through his. Smiling up at him, she whispered, "Let's ditch them, Harry. I didn't get enough of you last night…I never do…"

He looked at her, his eyes narrowed with confusion. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. She looked surprised. He shook his head. "Sorry, Rhiannon, not today. I have a bad feeling about this. I need to be there."

"No," she said, her tone imparting persistence, "you don't. You need to be with me." He took a deep breath, kissed her softly, and whispered the password to Dumbledore's office.

xxx

"What do you mean 'she's gone'?" Harry asked, trying to train his voice into some semblance of calm. His breathing was getting faster, right along with his heartbeat. "How can you not know where she went? She couldn't have just left like that!"

"Harry," Rhiannon said softly, placing a hand on his thigh. "Calm down."

"Shut up, Rhiannon!" he snapped at her, jumping up and beginning to pace. She raised and eyebrow and tossed her hair behind her shoulder.

"Harry," she whispered, standing and crossing toward him. She wrapped her arms around his shaking form and leaned up so her mouth was just brushing his ear. "Why don't you take a leave and go after her? The Ministry is sorely lacking in that department, but you…You, Harry, you could find her and bring her back, all on your own." Dumbledore stared at Rhiannon quizzically for a moment, and opened his mouth to speak when the fireplace flashed green and Draco Malfoy stepped into the office. He looked around the room, his own face somber. Dumbledore stood and shook his former student's hand, before conjuring up another chair. Draco, still casting nervous glances at the others, sat down. Dumbledore sighed, looking down at his hands.

"I'm sorry that I have to be the one to bear such devastating news, Draco," he almost whispered, his voice belaying his age, "but I'm afraid that Cosette has gone missing." Draco remained motionless for a moment. Nodding, he stood up and walked to the door.

"Excuse me, Headmaster," he choked out, before rushing down the stairs. Harry caught Albus' eye, and went to follow Draco. He found the blond on his way down the stairs.

"Draco!" Harry called, hurrying down the steps. Draco made no move to wait for Harry, and chose not to acknowledge his pleas to slow down. Harry, sighing, and doubling his pace, finally managed to catch up with him a few meters outside the main doors. It was cold and rainy out that day, and the mid-September chill had settled in with its harsh winds and unwelcoming bareness in the trees. Draco had stopped moving, and was hunched in against himself. Harry ran up and placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. Draco tensed and rolled it off him. "Fine," Harry spat, shaking his head in disgust. "If you want to take the easy way out, that's just fucking fine. I don't need you to help me. I can do it alone."

"So they wrote in the biography of the Boy Who Lived," Draco mocked. "Go off and play the hero."

"If I don't, who will?" Harry asked, his voice suddenly quiet. Draco furrowed his brows together, and stepped closer to Harry.

"We will," he whispered, and held out his hand. "Partners?"

"Of course," Harry agreed, clasping the delicate palm and squeezing.

"Pack your stuff, then, and meet me at the manor. Hermione's not going to take this well."

xxx

"What do you mean you're going to Wales?" Hermione screeched. Draco was standing near the door, facing her, and Hermione was positioned in the middle of their bed, right next to his suitcase. "You can't just leave! Things like this take careful planning, you know!"

"Yes, Hermione, I know they usually take a long time to plan," Draco said calmly, pulling out his wand and flicking it. Immediately, all of his clothing and miscellaneous travel items flew into the open case. Hermione jumped. "But you have to try to understand, we don't have that much time. Cosette could be dead already. Harry said he'd be here by six tonight, and that means she'll have been gone for at least twenty one hours. She was last seen in her bed in the Ravenclaw dorms at nine Saturday night. Do you know how far she could have gone in that time, what could have been done?"

"Draco," Hermione pleaded, grabbing his hand as he neared the suitcase again. "I know this is tearing you apart, but you can't just leave like this. It's endangering both yours and Harry's lives."

"Goddamnit, Hermione!" Draco yelled, ripping his hand from hers and stepping back. "I don't care if I die, all right? I just need to help Cosette!" Hermione nodded, looking down at her hands, which she had clasped together tightly in her lap.

"Tristan and I aren't enough to live for?" she asked quietly. Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair. With a deep breath, he climbed onto the bed with her and held her against his chest.

"Hermione, you know that I love you both more than words could possibly express. But if I let Cosette die, I could never live with myself." Draco paused here, his voice shaking. Swallowing hard, he steadied himself and continued. "If I leave you here, I know that you're safe and, in the unfortunate event of my death, would be taken care of. Cosette has no one but Harry and he cannot save her alone. She needs us, Hermione."

"I need you, too," she whispered. Draco bent down and kissed her. When he pulled back, she implored him for some sort of sign that he'd stay back with her, but he shook his head and stood up. Closing his suitcase, he shrunk it and put it in a leather messenger bag with a little tent and a few bottles of water. He glanced up at the clock- three minutes to six.

"Harry and I are going to start tonight, but we'll stop around noon tomorrow for lunch and to check out the maps. We're headed to Wales first, then we'll contact you about whether we'll be home or en route to Scotland. All right?" He leaned down and kissed her again. "Don't be mad at me. I'm doing what I think is best, and I promise that if I hear word something is even slightly amiss here, I'll be home as soon as I can. I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too, Draco." She blew him a kiss as he left the room. "Be careful," she whispered as he closed the door behind him.

xxx

"Okay," Harry said, spreading out the sheets in front of him. "I'm still a little confused."

"Jesus," Draco breathed, running his fingers through his too-long platinum locks. "I wanted to leave as soon as you got here so we could travel by night the first stretch. Can't I explain later?"

"No, you can't," Harry protested. "Now, let me get this straight: Cosette was probably kidnapped by former Death Eaters because…?"

"Because she was close to you, the man who killed their master, and me, the one who refused to restore their glory. If they wanted to hurt us both, which they most likely do, Cosette would be the most opportune way to do so. Enough of them knew I cared for her- they'd seen the two of us and Edan at meetings and revels. All they had to do to place her with you was to be at the final battle. A few fled before the Ministry arrived, so they probably attested that she was close to you."

"Right," Harry sighed, adjusting his glasses and sitting back. "Now we're going to Wales because…"

"The Death Eaters kept all of their files and equipment there. If they were to go anywhere, it would be there, Scotland, or the Ukraine. I believe the latter was burnt down when you defeated Voldemort the first time- when you were a baby- because that's where they had been operating from at the time. I'm not sure how many people knew about the extensive collection of records and documents kept in Wales, but that would be an excellent place to be." Draco yawned, reaching behind him to grab his glass of sherry. Taking a sip, he continued. "Scotland would be the more probable choice to stay. It's much more modern, and not so conspicuous as Wales, however it is more widely known about. I figure if we start looking in Wales, we might find records as to what Voldemort's plans were for after the war. Chances are, that's what the Death Eaters will be out to accomplish."

Harry stayed silent a moment, mulling over all this information. He twirled his spoon around in his tea, watching the delicate ripples. When he finally spoke, it was soft and curious. "How do you know all of this?"

"I was meant to be the next Dark Lord. When you've got that kind of future, one has to be prepared to live it out." Draco sighed, sinking back into the chair. His face looked worn and a sort of resigned melancholy had traced his delicate features. Harry nodded, still working the plans out in his head. First they would go to Wales to see if Cosette would be there, or if they could find any clues or future plans. Then, if they didn't find her, they'd head to Scotland. Heaven only knew how they'd manage to sneak in, kidnap Cosette back, and sneak back out, but Harry figured he'd work out the kinks in the plans later. They still had an awful long broom ride. The two men exchanged glances, stood, and headed to the front door. Draco crossed the strap to his bag over his chest, shrunk a third broomstick and cape, and stuffed them inside. He opened his closet a little wider then, and stepped inside. Harry tried to look in, but it was rather dark. Draco pried open a loose panel, grabbed three shiny somethings, and threw one to Harry. Looking at it curiously, Harry glanced up at Draco.

"What are these for?" he asked, draping his over his arm.

"They're invisibility cloaks," the other answered, something sounding like mockery evident in his voice. Harry bristled.

"I know what they are, Malfoy." Draco smirked, and stepped down. "I was simply asking why we needed them in the dark."

"We might later, okay, Harry?" he said. "Don't get mad at me." Harry grimaced and stuffed his into his bag as well. Stepping outside, he was greeted by a crisp wind and the smell of autumn leaves. Draco looked back, grinned, and kicked off. Harry, never one to let Malfoy outdo him on a broomstick, rose into the air and started racing after him.

xxx

"I'm afraid he's not here, Mr. Weasely."

"What do you mean he's not here?" Ron shouted. "He's a teacher, for god's sake! Where else would he be?"

"He went to Wales, I believe," Albus explained smoothly. "With Mr. Malfoy."

"Jesus Christ," Ron said with a sigh. "I don't suppose you have directions?" Albus nodded. Ron shrugged, and said, "Well, I guess I'll pay a visit to Hermione. It really is rather imperative I speak with Harry soon." Albus nodded, and offered his fireplace. Ron gladly accepted, and stepped through. On the other side, Hermione was sitting with Tristan in her lap, reading. "Ever the bookworm," he joked. Hermione, having not noticed his arrival, jumped, but soon quieted. Tristan, however, gurgled in delight.

"Gods, Ron, you're sneaky." She eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want?"

"I would usually get indignant at this point and claim that I just wanted to see an old friend, but that would just waste time." Ron grinned widely as Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "I really just need directions of some sort to where Harry and Draco went."

"Well," Hermione said, holding Tristan on her hip and heading toward the parlor. "I don't know exactly, but they were in here earlier, I believe, so they might have left…" She trailed off, picking up a yellowed piece of parchment. "Here it is," she announced triumphantly, handing him the sheet. "Directions to one castle in Wales, held under the name T. Marvolo."

"Great," Ron said, kissing Hermione's cheek. "See you around, then!" With that, he smiled and left.

"Guess it's just you and me, now, kid," she sighed. Tristan blinked. "Like you care," she added, and started toward the kitchens.

xxx

"Well, well, well," a cold voice drawled, waking Cosette. She blinked- her eyelids felt heavy and her body ached. She tried to stand up, but found herself chained to a wall. Pulling harder, the man laughed. "Yes, Miss Lestrange," it continued, viewing her struggle with obvious pleasure, "You've been kidnapped, and tied up, and the only one- or is it two now?" he posed, watching as Cosette glared daggers at him, "Anyway, they'll have to do so at their own risk. I doubt all three of you will make it out unharmed."

"Who are you?" she near growled, pulling harder against her handcuffs. The man laughed, walking closer with each word.

"I should think you'd remember me. I was close to your brother. I was there when he was killed." By now he was pressed against her, his own body molding to hers. Unable to protect herself, she merely tilted her chin defiantly.

"He hated you, Malory," she hissed, recognizing his hazel eyes through the darkness. Her assailant laughed.

"I knew he did, Cosette. Did you think me blind? We were enemies- but you're always supposed to keep your enemies close to you." Malory smiled at her, his face centimeters away from hers. "I have to go now," he whispered, "But I'll be back later." Leaning down, he kissed just below her ear. "I like these," he added, fingering her handcuffs. "Sort of kinky. I never knew you were that kind of girl." Cosette struggled against her bonds, but Malory laughed, deriding her, and left.

xxx

"Draco!" Harry yelled, pulling his broomstick up to level with his companion. "Can we stop? I can't see a bloody thing!"

"Fine," Draco called back, turning to his right. "Follow me." Harry sighed, obviously knowing that while Draco was hard to follow at night, going through a forest like the one they were headed towards would be next to impossible. He fumbled for his wand, but found it stuck in his pocket. Slowing down to a hover, he managed to yank the thin piece of wood from his pants and hold it out, but by that time, Draco was under the canopy.

"Shit," Harry whispered, running his hand through his hair. Muttering a quick _lumos_, he pointed the beam of light toward the direction he thought was the right one. Nothing. Shifting it over to the left a bit…still nothing. Suddenly, he froze. A high pitched shrieking was echoing through the woods, piercing its way through everything. Harry cringed, but immediately thought of Draco. Was he okay? Did it find him, whatever it was? Harry frantically waved his light around before finally landing on something. A misty white figure, flying towards him at a speed that surely must have rivaled light. Harry gaped, unable to move, before spinning around on his broom and trying desperately to get away. The thing screeched again, this time much closer. Harry was panicking- there was another one, a black one, coming from his left. Harry tried to turn, but the black one overcame him and grabbed him. They fell, plummeting to the ground in a dangerous and soon to be painful way. Breaking through branches and leaves, the two figures hit the only slightly cushioned ground. The black thing was pressed against Harry, leaving him completely immobile. It flung it's cape around them and lay still. Breathing heavily, Harry looked up.

"Draco?" he asked, staggered. "What the fuck are you doing to me?"

"Shut up, Potter," Draco whispered back. "If you keep talking, she'll find us."

"What will?" Harry solicited, before Draco elbowed his side and placed a hand over his mouth. They waited, for what seemed like hours, and then they heard it. First the scream, then the soft swish of branches, accompanied by an unbearable cold. After a few terrifying moments, the temperature warmed and the ghost was gone. Draco sat up, and upon finding himself in Harry's lap, stood quickly and straightened out his robe.

"Way to almost get us killed," he accused, picking a dry leaf out of his hair.

"Well, if you had waited for me before diving into the trees like that, I wouldn't have had to pull out my wand in the first place," Harry spat back, standing and haphazardly fixed his own robes. "What was that, anyways?"

"That was a banshee," Draco explained, bending down and picking up both brooms. "Read about them, I don't feel like explaining. Now we've stopped, so help me put this tent up."

xxx

xxx

a/n: so yeah. Chapter two is up, after close to a millenia. Thank you to my beautiful beta, ((who really is gorgeous. She doesn't believe me.)) who made this all possible. Review please? Email Updates! - email


	3. 3: And I Dreamt of You

"Draco?" Harry asked, his voice timid and soft. Draco murmured an unintelligible noise as a response to let Harry know that he was listening. Harry took a deep breath, and started again. "Draco, I think I may be in trouble. You see-" but he was interrupted. From the clearing just outside their tent came a crash and a shout. Draco shot up, glanced at Harry, and bounded outside. Harry sat still, not sure what was going on. He heard a yelp, and what might have been a skirmish, before Draco came back inside, his lips pursed, and dragging something heavy and orange behind him.

"Ron!" Harry cried, rushing to relieve his friend. Draco dropped the leg he'd been carrying and sat down on his bed. Ron glared at him.

"What?" Draco asked defensively, putting his hands up to show innocence. "I hear a noise in presumably haunted woods, did you expect me to offer you tea?"

"You didn't have to hit me so hard," Ron complained, rubbing his chin. Draco shrugged.

"Why are you here, Ron?" Harry asked, breaking up the inevitable quarrel that was brewing.

"To save you from that prat," Ron mumbled. Draco raised an eyebrow. "No, really, I needed to talk to you and Dumbledore and Hermione led me here." Ron eyed Draco, who had now settled onto his back and was trying to fall asleep. "I need to talk to you alone, in private, without extraneous people." Draco made no move to leave. "Oh, fine, we'll go then." Ron grabbed Harry's hand and led him outside. The two found a nice log about twenty yards from the tent and settled there.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, his voice soft and concerned. Ron sighed, leaning forward and dropping his head.

"I had another dream." Ron reached down and picked up a pebble, running it between his fingers. "I don't know what it means. They said they wanted one for restoration, and one for vengeance."

"One of what?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Ron breathed, looking up to meet Harry's eyes. "But I know it means something. It scares me, Harry. Honestly. I can't do anything about this, and that scares me."

XXX

It was Wednesday afternoon before Hermione finally decided to go out. She bathed and dressed Tristan and headed out to Hogsmeade. Late September was probably her favourite time of year. The air was crisp, but the wind still held on to the last fragments of summer. Tristan gurgled and giggled their way down the street. She stopped at the Three Broomsticks at about four for lunch. To her surprise, she noticed a familiar head of red hair. Switching Tristan onto her right hip, she tapped Ginny on the shoulder. The girl spun around, and grinned.

"Fancy seeing you here," Hermione joked, sitting down next to Ginny. The younger girl caught Hermione in a rib-crushing hug. "Geez, Gin, it's only been a couple months."

"I know," the redhead admitted, a slight red tingeing her cheeks. "I just missed you." Hermione smiled and brought Ginny closer.

"I missed you too." They sat there that way for quite some time, before a rather loud 'a-hem' interrupted. Ginny pulled back.

"Would you care to introduce me?" the man sitting on Ginny's left intoned. Hermione looked suspicious.

"Um…This is Gavin," Ginny said softly. "He's in the Ministry."

"Well, isn't that nice." Hermione smiled congenially. Turning back to Ginny, she leaned in close and whispered, "I don't like the look of him. What's the deal?"

"He came into Madam Malkin's, you know, my new job? Well, we got to talking while I was fitting him, and he invited me out for a drink. I don't know," Ginny paused, shrugging and glancing at Gavin as he took a sip from his butterbeer, "I think he's sort of cute." Hermione raised her eyebrows. Ginny giggled.

"So, Gavin," Hermione announced. He turned, choking on his drink. She smiled inwardly. "What exactly do you do in the Ministry?"

"Well, Miss…?"

"Malfoy, if you please."

"Right, Miss Mal-"

"Mrs. Malfoy, actually," Hermione interrupted again. Gavin took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around his bottle.

"Fine. Mrs. Malfoy…" he paused, looking around and furrowing his brow. Heaving a sigh, he asked, "What was the question?"

"Your job in the Ministry," Ginny prompted, while Hermione struggled to keep from laughing. Ginny shot her a look that seemed to say 'Don't mess this up,' but she couldn't help it. After all, Ginny, with this guy?

"I'm the Junior Assistant to Malfalda Hopkirk. I generally take care of the smaller scale misdemeanors, you know, underage wizards, wizards operating the wrong wands…things like that." Hermione nodded, as if she were listening. Ginny nodded.

"That was very interesting, Gavin," she spoke, smiling. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Now, I'm going to the lav, if you don't mind." On her way out, Ginny shot Hermione a be-nice glare. Scooting over a seat and switching around Tristan, she cocked her head to the side.

"Thanks for filling me in, Mr.…?"

"Just Gavin, if you don't mind," he said with a smile. Hermione nodded.

"Well, then, I guess you can call me Hermione."

"What a beautiful name." Gavin leaned in, extending his finger to Tristan, who grabbed it and started to wrench it off. "Who's this?"

"Oh," Hermione said, beaming, "This is my son, Tristan."

"You don't look a day over eighteen. How is it that you have a son?" Gavin smiled, and continued to play with Tristan.

"I'm almost nineteen, actually," Hermione said softly. "My husband and I had an interesting sort of relationship."

"I'd love to hear the story sometime," Gavin whispered back. Hermione smiled. "Can I buy you something?"

"Oh, I'll get it." Hermione started to reach for her purse, but Gavin's hand surrounded hers.

"No," he said. "Let me." She searched his green tint eyes, before smiling and agreeing. Gavin bought a butterbeer for each of them, and a cup of milk for Tristan. As Hermione helped Tristan drink, she found herself spilling her life story to him.

"Draco just left Sunday night, with Harry, and soon to be Ron. I just can't keep them around, you know?" She looked to him for understanding. Remarkably, he was nodding.

"I had a girlfriend once who could never keep in one place." Here, Gavin paused, looking down and smiling ruefully. "Or with one man."

"Oh," Hermione murmured, her tone consoling. "That's awful." _And Draco would never do that,_ she told herself. _Especially not with Harry along. I have no reason to worry._

"I'm back!" Ginny announced cheerfully, but was a little disturbed to see them quite so close together. Hermione jumped up.

"Well, I better be going," she decided. Ginny looked crestfallen. "Come by the manor, okay? Draco's gone, and I could use some company." The girls hugged, and Hermione smiled curiously at Gavin. He waved and took another swig of butterbeer. Hermione hurried out of the pub and into the cool afternoon.

XXX

Cosette, feeling rather foolish, kicked the door with the heel of her boot. She'd been handcuffed and she had a sneaking suspicion that they'd slipped her some kind of potion in her rations, but she managed to maintain a level of dignity as she was escorted inside the small parlor and sat in a chair. The room was dark. Heavy velvet curtains were hung over the windows and a fire was blazing in the hearth. Cosette shifted in her chair. The heat and scent of the room made her uneasy. After what seemed like forever, Malory came in and sat in the chair next to hers. He was dressed in black slacks and a tight black button up, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and he was holding a brandy snifter. Taking a sip, he looked over at Cosette and smiled.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

"Because being tied up is really what I'd call fun," she spat back. Malory raised his eyebrows.

"Well, if that's how you like it, we can play it rough. I'm sure there are more than enough places in the torture chamber you'd like." Cosette narrowed her eyes and said nothing. "I'd like to invite you to dinner. Say, Thursday?"

"I can't promise I'll be there," Cosette said innocently. "I seem to have lost track of the date."

"It's Tuesday. That gives you two days. I'll show you to your new chambers. I'm not dining with a prisoner."

"Then let me go!" Cosette cried.

"Maybe later," he said, finishing off his drink and going to pour another. "Would you like something, doll?"

"A nice quick Avada sounds good," she murmured to herself. Looking up, she smiled and said, "A glass of Chardonnay?" Malory nodded and poured both drinks. Handing Cosette hers, he let his fingers slide over her hand. Cosette shivered involuntarily. Malory raised his eyebrows, noting that, and she blushed. As she opened her mouth to say something, three quick knocks rang out and the door opened.

"Sir, we've had word from MacDougal. He says Po-" The messenger stopped short, seeing Cosette, who was now sitting quite straight and listening. Malory sighed.

"Tell me in a moment. Sit down, I'll dismiss her soon." The messenger nodded and sat in the opposite corner. Malory shook his head and walked to the door. He flicked his wand and within the minute a house elf was at his feet. "Take this girl to the fifth floor, left corridor, Butterfly Room. Lock her in and bring me the key immediately." The house elf bowed. Malory turned to Cosette. "I'll see you Thursday." Leaning down, he helped her up and kissed her hand. Cosette said nothing and left. Malory chuckled as she walked out, waiting until the door clicked shut before turning to the other man in the room.

"MacDougal said Potter and some other man are on their way to the castle. They're going to Scotland if they're unsuccessful here. Should we retire to Bulgaria?"

"No," Malory said, clinking his rings against the glass in his hand. "Send out the gold falcon. Let them come."

XXX

"We're almost there," Draco called back, adjusting his bag on his shoulder. "Come on, Harry, keep up!"

"I would keep up if you weren't going so bloody fast!" Harry sighed and ran to catch up. "I understand we have to hurry, but we're not going to be able to help her if we're exhausted."

"I'm not exhausted."

"Well, I am!"

"I thought you were the brilliant Quidditch player. The Legendary Harry Potter!"

"Oh, please. Even you can beat me."

"And I'm still beating you, Potter." Draco grinned, pushing through a curtain of vines. "I'm faster, I'm prettier, I'm better at Quidditch and classes, my wife's hotter than your girlfriend…God, Potter, keep up!" Harry eyed him and remained still as he caught his breath. Draco laughed.

"Harry, how long are you…"

"What, Draco?" Harry asked, looking up and noticing Draco had stopped and was looking up. "What's wrong?"

"Fuck," Draco growled, dropping his bag and running toward Harry. He pushed him against a tree and bowed his head into the other man's shoulder. "Don't move." Harry furrowed his brow, and hid his face in the same fashion Draco did. Soon after, he heard screeching. He could feel Draco tense against him. When the noise faded, Draco pulled himself away and went to pick up his bag.

"What in the hell was that?" Harry asked, his nerves shaky. "More banshees?"

"Gold-winged Falcon," Draco answered, continuing in the same direction at a much slower pace. "They know we're coming."

XXX

Hermione was sitting in the front library, reading a book on Vampires in Eastern Europe. Tristan was quite contentedly laying on his back on the sofa beside her and chewing on a small pink plastic ring. Every so often, Hermione would look over and smile. Just about the time she was thinking about getting lunch ready, a house elf named Marieke appeared and told her there was a man at the door for her. Hermione, puzzled, excused Marieke and put her book down. Gathering up Tristan and the pink ring, she made her way to the door. Gavin was standing in the front hallway, holding a bouquet of fifty white roses.

"How did you know where I lived?" Hermione asked, smiling and receiving the flowers and a kiss on the cheek.

"Malfoy. Not like it's a common last name, and your son is the spitting image of his father." Gavin grinned. "Draco and I went to Germany together when we were younger. We lost correspondence when he was made a Death Eater."

"Oh, he never went through with that, but I'll let him tell you the story."

"Is he home?" Gavin asked, following Hermione into the back of the house. They stopped in the dining room, the windows casting long golden rays across the table.

"He went to Wales with Harry for a month or so. Some sort of Hogwarts thing, I'd guess." Hermione smiled and picked out a vase from the china cabinet. "These are gorgeous."

"I figured I couldn't come empty handed. They do you no justice." Hermione blushed.

"I was just about to make lunch, would you care to join us?"

"I'd love to," Gavin said, smiling. "Would you let me make it for you? I've been told I'm an excellent cook."

"Oh, no, you don't have to…" Hermione blushed even more.

"I want to," he said, grasping her hand. "In fact, why don't we feed Tristan and put him to bed, and then we can have ours alone?"

"That would be perfectly lovely, I think," Hermione agreed. She led Gavin down to the kitchen, dismissed the house elves, and heated up Tristan's milk. She fed him while Gavin went to work at their lunch. Just as he was plating, Hermione excused herself and went to put Tristan in his crib. She instructed a house elf she knew quite well by the name of Sari to watch him and take care of him until Gavin left. She rushed to her room and changed into a short black dress, threw on a pair of diamond earrings and a splash of perfume, and went back downstairs. Gavin was sitting in the dining room, the plates on the table and two glasses of wine on the table. He stood when Hermione came in and held her chair out for her. Pushing her nearer, he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the neck.

"Take a drink," he suggested, sitting down again. "A toast to a new friendship." They clinked glasses and drank. She smiled. "Moulis," he said. "From France."

"It's wonderful," she sighed. They started on lunch- roasted pheasant in butter sauce. When they were done, Hermione was quite tipsy and giggly. "So really," she was saying, "it's quite hilarious-" Gavin cut her off by leaning over and kissing her. "Oh no," she said, pushing him back playfully. "I'm married."

"Don't think about that," he whispered, helping her up from her chair. "Just go with your instincts." Hermione tried to process that, but found her brain quite fuzzy and unable to do so. It must have been the wine, too much alcohol. But she'd only had two glasses…He was kissing her again, and the thought melted away. She was against the wall, her hands were ripping at his shirt, her dress was falling off, his belt, her slip…it was happening too fast, but she didn't have the time to stop it. Her vision was sparkly, she was breathing hard. Gavin was whispering something to her, and she nodded. What was it that he'd said? She found it disconcerting to realize she didn't care…it felt too good. He kissed her to keep her from screaming, and she willingly kissed back. At least, she thought she was willing. He said something else, and she agreed again, and found herself being carried to her bedroom.

XXX

XXX

Author's Note: All right kids, here you go. This took me only, what…six months? Yeah, I know. But at least it's up now! Thanks to my lovely Chevi. She's great. And let's thank whoever nominated me at Dangerous Liasons. That reminds me- check that out! Dark Waters of Ecstasy was nominated for the 'Once Upon A Time' award.

http/ 

Love, Starlit Night


	4. 4: The Secrets I Have Hid

"How much longer till we're there, again?" Harry asked, rubbing his knee where he'd fallen trying to cross a rather tricky creek. "Because, honestly, this trip is the worst I've ever been on."

"Oh, shut it, Potter," Draco nipped, pushing back a curtain of vines. "We're here." Harry rushed forward and looked through. Standing at least seven stories tall was a grey granite castle, complete with turrets, a drawbridge and moat, and a very tall iron fence. Draco turned to Harry and smiled.

"All right," Harry said, pulling back and sitting against a tree. "Now what?"

"Now we wait until it's dark, sneak in, and find Cosette," Draco said, sitting opposite Harry and throwing him a bottle of water from his bag. "What else would we do?"

"I don't know," Harry said and took a gulp from his water. "I just thought we'd have a plan or something, besides, you know, the obvious go in and grab her."

"I don't know where she'd be," Draco said with a shrug. "If she's in the dungeons, I know a secret passage that leads to every cell. If she's in a room upstairs, then we'd have to fly in from the top and use the hidden staircases and corridors. If she's-"

"I get it, Malfoy," Harry interrupted. "I'm not stupid."

"I beg to differ. Hey, what was that for?" Draco asked indignantly, wiping the water off his face.

"Felt like it."

"You felt like spitting water at me?" Harry nodded. Draco shook his head. "I will never understand Gryffindors."

"Yeah, well, you married one."

"Your point?" Draco asked, sipping his water again. Harry shook his head. Suddenly, from behind Draco came a loud crack. Both men jumped and looked at each other. Draco grabbed his bag and tossed an invisibility cloak to Harry, before pulling one on himself. Soon after, they heard voices.

"I'm telling you, Gregory, they'll never get past the charms on the fence, much less past all the traps in the garden."

"What if they fly in? Then all they have to worry about is being seen."

"And they'll get spotted in an instant." The two men came into view. They were dressed in the black robes customary to Death Eaters, but had their masks pulled down. Each was carrying his wand out, as if they were searching for something. They continued in silence for a little while, before Gregory spoke up.

"Do you think her plan will work, MacNair?" he asked so softly, Harry and Draco had to strain to hear. MacNair sighed.

"She's a genius, of course it will work." Gregory nodded and they disappeared around a grove of trees. Harry and Draco waited a few minutes before taking their cloaks off.

"That was convenient," Harry said, laughing nervously and running his hand through his hair.

"So if we get an extra spell or two, we can just fly over. My guess is she'll be in one of the bedrooms." Draco stood and packed up the cloaks.

"Don't think they'd be into the whole torture thing?"

"Cosette's a hot little item, they'll want to be nice to her."

XXX

Thursday was perhaps the longest day Cosette had ever experienced. She woke up too early, but found she had nothing to do until five o'clock, when she'd have to get ready for dinner at six. For most of the morning, she languished in her bed, savouring the feeling of the satin sheets that were always slightly cool against her skin. When she heard the clock strike one, she got up slowly and went to her bathroom. The whole castle was magnificent- the bedrooms in every rich, royal colour imaginable, with the finest cloths you'd ever see; the bathrooms made entirely out of marble and gold. Cosette drew herself a scalding hot bath and spent another hour or so lying there. As her imprisonment drew on, she found herself less and less eager to escape, and spent more of her time sitting somewhere, staring outside disinterestedly. _Maybe it would just be easier to give up, _she asked herself more times than she'd admit. After all, she did know all of Harry's secrets.

Harry.

Cosette sighed heavily and got out of her bath. Everything ended up with Harry. Damn him for being so perfect, damn him for making her fall in love with him. Sighing, she got out of the bathtub, yanking the cord on the drain and wrapping herself in a towel. She walked to the sink and wiped off a small circle on the mirror. She stared at that little oval of herself until the steam covered her again. Today was not going to be a good day. She could tell already she'd need a few glasses of wine to break a smile. Shaking her head, she picked up her comb and headed to her vanity. Only three and a half hours until she'd be seated next to Malory.

XXX

The sun shining through her window woke Hermione up the next morning. She smiled, stretched, and cuddled back into her covers. She felt so warm, so hazy…all she wanted to do was lie there forever. Or until Draco came home. Just as she was drifting back into sleep, she felt an arm wrap itself around her waist. Had he really come home so soon? What had happened to Cosette? Hermione, a little disconcerted, turned over.

"Gavin?" she asked, mostly to herself. The man lying next to her smiled through his sleep.

"What do you need, love?" he murmured. Hermione stared at him, desperately trying to recall the night before. They'd sat down to dinner, he'd poured the wine, they'd started talking…where had it gone wrong?

"What…"she asked, gulping. "What happened?"

"Was I really that forgettable?" he said, his voice taking on a light teasing note. Gavin propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Hermione. "We had dinner, and after, while I was escorting you upstairs, you kissed me. One thing led to another…" he smiled, "and we ended up here. You're a smart girl, you can guess what ensued." He leaned over and kissed her gently, Hermione too stunned to respond. Standing up and revealing his entirely nude form, he crossed to the chair and pulled on his pants. "Shall I make you breakfast?" he asked innocently. Hermione shook her head.

"No," she said. "No, I think you'd better just go."

"Oh, come on now, Hermione," Gavin said, coming back to sit on the bed. "We spent the night together, as close as two people can come. You're not going to cast me off as a one night stand, are you?"

"But I'm married!" she exclaimed, sitting up. Noticing that the sheets had dropped and left her exposed, she quickly bundled a blanket around her chest. "I have a husband and a child!"

"Then you should have thought of that before," Gavin snapped. Hermione bit her lip. "Let me get you some water, I'm sure you'll be fine in a while." Gavin smiled and crossed to the bathroom, emerging a few moments later with a glass of water. Hermione took it , gulped half of it down, paused, looked at it, sipped tentatively, and set it down.

"It tastes funny," she said softly, answering Gavin's unspoken question.

"Ah," he said, nodding. "Well, let me get started on that breakfast. You stay here, I'll bring it up." Exiting with a smile, Gavin left Hermione by herself. Once she was sure he had left, Hermione stood and crossed to her wardrobe. Donning fresh pajamas, she next went to the bathroom, pulled her hair back in a long braid, and washed her face. She could just detect a small red mark on her throat, reminding her painfully what she had done. Sighing, she resigned to her bed, and drifted into a half awake stupor that Gavin found her in half an hour later.

"How are you feeling, Hermione?" he asked softly, kneeling beside the bed. Hermione smiled.

"Lovely," she mumbled back, her eyes still closed. "It's a positively wonderful morning." Gavin smiled and helped her sit up. Placing a tray consisting of eggs, toast, orange juice, and a fresh cut rose on her lap, he summoned a chair and sat next to her.

"Felling better about last night?" he asked gently. Hermione paused for a moment, thoughtfully chewing her toast. Something was nagging at her about it, but it seemed somehow more okay that she had done it. Gavin, after all, was an incredibly charming, handsome man. She briefly wondered why she hadn't married someone like him.

…_Draco was like him. Better than him._

Hermione stopped, frozen. Draco. She threw her covers off, tossing the breakfast with them. Jumping out of bed, she groped her bedside table for her wand and pointed it at Gavin's chest.

"Get out," she said, gritting her teeth. Gavin looked mildly frightened, but mostly amused.

"Hermione, darling…" he started, coming towards her. For a moment, Hermione relapsed and felt a strange urge to run into his arms, but she battled back and kept her wand erect.

"I said, get out," she repeated, her voice quaking from the exertion of her inner feud. "I'd advise you to do so before I call the Ministry."

"Love," he said again, coming towards her. "We're misunderstood. Come here." Hermione involuntarily took a step towards him. What was she doing? He didn't have her under the Imperious curse- she'd learned to fight that off years ago. The house elves would have noticed if he'd put something in her breakfast, so that was out. Maybe this was what it felt like to be in love with two people?

"No," she said, her whole body trembling. "I can't. I love Draco. I do, I love him."

"If you love him so much," Gavin said, closing in on her and wrapping an arm around her waist, "then why did you sleep with me?" Hermione collapsed against him, crying and shaking. She couldn't explain that, she was tired, she let herself fall into him again.

XXX

Cosette was sitting in an armchair, lazily reading a copy of _Magical Mistakes & How to Correct Them_, when Malory came to collect her that evening. He led her down the hallway in silence, seating her at a long mahogany table in a deep blue dining room.

"I hope you know," Cosette began when the house elves had set their bowls of soup before them and left, "that I have no romantic interest in you, and being polite at this point will get you no where."

"I'm not trying to sleep with you, Cosette," Malory said, rubbing his eyes. He looked strangely tired, as if he'd been up all night and overexerted that morning. "I just find you intriguing."

"Thank you," Cosette said curtly, picking up her spoon and poking warily at the thick, red mixture before her.

"Gazpacho," Malory informed her. "Cold vegetable soup."

"Oh," Cosette mumbled, taking a spoonful to her mouth. They ate in silence for the first three courses, but when dessert was served, both seemed eager to break the awkward silence.

"Cosette, I want to clear something up with you," Malory said, his voice too loud as if he'd underestimated the quiet. "It was not my idea to kidnap you. They did most of this without my knowledge. However, when you got here, I took you on as my responsibility. You see, that night the Death Eaters invaded your house…" Malory trailed off, rubbing his eyes again. Cosette almost pitied him. "That night, I was next to Edan when he was murdered. They found him in the study. He was sitting at his desk, reading or something. He didn't even see us come in." Cosette took a deep breath and got up. Moving to kneel next to Malory's chair, she placed a soft hand on his arm. He put his hand over hers, and continued. "They put him on his knees, right in the middle of the room. It was dark, no one could tell he wasn't his father. No one cared. But right before…right before they brought up their wands…"

"Shh," Cosette murmured, her eyes filled with tears. "Don't say it, don't go on."

"He grabbed my hand. He grabbed it and said to me, 'Take care of her, please. Just take care of her for me.' And then he was gone, his body limp on the floor. I've tried, Cosette, I've tried to take care of you. But you just wouldn't be a part of what I do, what I am. I can't save you if you defy those that I am led by." Cosette was crying, her sobs soft and muffled. "Will you help us? Help resurrect the Dark Lord's empire?"

"I can't," she whispered, "I won't." Malory kneeled down next to her, taking her in his arms.

"Then help me," he breathed in her ear. She nodded, and he helped her up and to her room. He left her there, lying on her bed and exhausted. She must have fallen asleep, because she woke up at two a.m. She washed her face, and changed for bed. As she was combing her hair, she heard a faint knock on her door. Cosette crossed her room quietly and opened the door. Malory came in, his hair mussed and his clothes rumpled.

"Malory?" Cosette prompted. "What's the matter?" Malory looked around, his eyes darting from place to place, wild in the dark. Cosette could hear noises outside the room in the hallway, hushed voices and hurried footsteps. As they neared her door, Malory approached her. A hand jiggled the doorknob, he took her in his arms. The door exploded open, and Malory kissed Cosette, his hands removing her robe and pressing her to him.

XXX

Harry and Draco had gotten around the traps set for them in the front garden, stunned the guards stationed at each entrance, even eluded the telescopes they knew were searching for them if they were to fly. Draco had snuck into a cellar, squeezed into a crawl space, and headed for the fourth floor.

"That's where the guests stay," Draco had explained, "But the doors are all locked from the outside. It's a good place to start."

They emerged into the corridor, walking slowly and silently under the cover of their cloaks. However, they were not the only ones with that idea. The two men bumped into someone else they could not see, who threw his cloak off and began tossing charms down the hallway at them. Draco threw off his cloak and ran for the stairs, calling for Harry to do the same. Down a flight, around a landing, into the fourth floor, they started trying doors frantically. They were three quarters down when Harry heard a familiar voice. He paused, made eye contact with Draco and bolted toward a door. Draco followed, spitting a spell at the locked door Harry had been trying to finagle open. The two men burst in and stopped dead. Cosette, naked but for a tiny string circling her hipbones, was pressed against a man Harry had never seen before. Malory pulled away from Cosette, who was staring between the three men speechlessly.

"Hello, boys," Malory greeted. "I'm glad to see you again, Draco. It's been far too many years. Harry Potter, what a pleasure to finally meet you." He stepped away from Cosette, leaving her almost naked. She dipped quickly to pick up her robe and pulled it on, looking away quickly. Malory continued. "I must say, Draco, I am quite shocked to hear about your crossover. Infinite power, and you choose a mudblood instead? That's downright absurd."

"Not as crazy as you think," Draco whispered, glancing one last time at Harry and stepping forward. "I'm back now, with Harry Potter. I'll restore you, take your revenge on him." Harry gasped, his breathing short.

"You lied to me!" he yelled, lunging toward Draco. Draco sidestepped just in time, and held Harry under his wand. Draco remained poised but slowly approached Cosette. Bringing up his hand to caress her cheek, he stared straight at her. He spoke softly, just loud enough for Malory to hear, never taking his eyes from Cosette's.

"Tell them all the last pure heir of Malfoy has returned. Tell them to take Potter to the ballroom, and lock him up with jade cuffs. They'll inhibit any excess magic. His wand will be left in my chambers, along with Cosette. Tomorrow, we'll begin the planning." Malory nodded, clapping Draco's shoulder.

"Good to have you back," he said, and left. Harry, unable to move, began cursing at Malfoy, who ignored him.

"Understand me," he breathed, "I will not hurt you. Please, understand." Cosette nodded, turning her face away. Draco sighed and turned to Harry.

"I hate you," Harry spat. "You don't deserve all the love Hermione gave you, all the trust she gave you. You're just like you're father." Draco's head shot up and he crossed to Harry.

"I am nothing like my father," Draco said softly, his wand pressing into Harry's throat. "Say that again and I'll kill you."

XXX

XXX

Author's Note : I UPDATED! Thanks again to the most wonderful beta, Chevi. She's my personal savior & I love her.

I know that these past two chapters have been controversial, but bear with me…it will all get better by the ending.

Also, thank you all for being so patient. I've been going through a really tough time in my life lately, and although I am recovering, it is taking a long time and I hope that you can all understand and will keep reading.


	5. 5: Reintroduction

Harry paced a line in the ballroom, his hands cuffed behind him. It seemed so ludicrous that something like this could have happened. Again. Draco was always pulling the double-agent card. But then again, how was Harry to know that all of this, starting from the last train ride back to Hogwarts up until now, wasn't just an elaborate scheme? It had been easy, far too easy to get to this castle and get inside and find Cosette. Harry slunk against a wall, his body tired, and sighed. The look Draco had given him, the sound of his voice, after Harry had compared him to Lucius…it was almost haunting him, the way he couldn't stop replaying the moment in his mind. Maybe that was Draco's clue that he was who Harry believed him to be - he was trying to save them all in his own weird way. But then again, maybe he was nothing like his father because his father was weak, cowering. He could never have succeeded to the throne of Voldemort, but here was Draco, alive, strong, and ready to sacrifice anyone that got in his way, even if that was Harry.

Especially if that was Harry.

Sighing again, Harry lay on the floor. Solitary confinement, he decided, could drive him absolutely mad.

Cosette was taken to the seventh floor of the castle, which, as far as she could see, was mostly one room with little interruptions. It was dark, but she could detect heavy curtains hanging from ceiling to floor along one whole wall. The man directing here pushed her roughly into a chair, and bound her to it. He left two wands, one belonging to her, the other to Harry, on a table near the door.

"I'd advise you not to try to escape," the man said, his voice coarse. "These were the Dark Lord Voldemort's private chambers, they have more dark magic flowing through them than you could ever hope to remedy." Cosette cringed, and the man left, a slight rasping laugh carrying behind him. The minute the door shut, Cosette was left in darkness. When her eyes began to adjust, she noticed that she was in a sitting area, with comfortable chairs and small tables. To her left was the only inner wall she could see, which she imagined would be the bath room. On her right was a sheer curtain, which concealed a large bed. Biting her lip, Cosette pulled at her handcuffs; jade, like the ones Harry had been given. She'd learned about jade stone in one of her classes at Beauxbatons, but what its magical qualities were, she could not remember. Cosette looked about her once more, deciding whether or not she should risk trying to escape, when the door opened once more. The sudden light temporarily blinded Cosette, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She heard a deep voice muttering a few spells, and peeked through one eye. Crossing the room toward her was Draco. Delighted to see him, she cried out, but quickly remembered that he was the reason she was tied to a chair and caught herself. Draco sighed, nodding and kneeling next to her.

"You have every right to hate me, Cosette," he said softly, aching to take her little hand in his. "But please, trust me. Trust me like you have for so many years." Cosette looked at him, her own heart beating so hard to be near his, but she turned away, her eyes watering. Draco sighed, dropping his head. "I love you, Cosette, I always will. I will never hurt you. Know that, I will never hurt you." Draco crossed back to the door and picked up the two wands, depositing them in a pocket under his cloak. He flicked his own at Cosette, freeing her binds. "Please, stay in this room. I could not begin to undo all the spells Voldemort has used, and I do not know the half of them. Stay here, I beg you." He paused momentarily to look once more at her, and then turned to leave.

From his room, Draco followed the stairs down to the first floor. There, he met MacNair and Gregory, two of the guards.

"Any new news from the invitees?" Draco asked, his demeanor at once cold and commanding.

"No, sir," Gregory said, tipping his head slightly. "They have all agreed to meet with you in the conference room tonight at eight o'clock." Draco nodded and continued, brushing past the two bowing men. Tiring. That's what all of this was. No wonder he'd avoided it for so long. Draco headed to the ballroom to check on Harry. The doors were locked with a number of charms, and it took him a full eight minutes to get inside. Harry was curled up on the floor across the room, his eyes staring blankly ahead of him. Draco closed the doors behind him, and crossed the room, but Harry made no motions at all. Kneeling next to the near statuesque man, Draco softly spoke.

"Harry?" he asked. "Harry, please say something." The man on the floor remained silent and still. "Harry, why are you doing this? Fight back! Where's that spirit?" Draco placed a light hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," Harry said, quiet but steady. "Don't you ever fucking touch me." Draco pulled back and stood up.

"You wouldn't listen even if I told you the truth under Veritaserum. You never could just trust me." Draco crossed back to the door, sighing. As he opened the door, he heard Harry speak.

"This is war, Malfoy. What you've just started, that's war. Between you and me. And I'm going to kill you. Just like I killed Voldemort." Draco, without turning around to look at Harry, left. "War," Harry cried after him. "You just wait! YOU JUST WAIT!"

Hermione woke up, sweating, crying, from another nightmare. The longer Draco was away, the worse they seemed to get. It had been a week since she'd slept with Gavin. A week and he was still haunting her, following her when she slept, when she held her child, when she did anything. She knew it was her fault, but somewhere she felt that it wasn't. The battle of heart versus head, and Hermione always sided with her head. She slid out of bed and went to the tap in her bathroom. She was wary of the water; she remembered that it tasted funny, but she filled her glass regardless and gulped it down. Funny, she thought, it tastes totally normal. Shrugging, she set the glass down on the counter next to the other one she'd neglected to bring to the kitchens. Drawing a deep breath and slipping into her bathrobe, Hermione went across the hall to Tristan's room. He was still asleep, his face serene and his tiny hand balled into a fist next to his cheek. Hermione sat down in the chair next to his cradle and started to cry, quietly, so as not to wake her child.

Draco sat in the far corner of Voldemort's chambers, out of Cosette's sight. Though she had no binds holding her to her chair, she had not moved past drawing her legs up to her chest. Draco was reading up about locking charms; unavoidable, permanent locking charms. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes, reminding himself to get a haircut, and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He had twenty minutes until he had to be downstairs in the main conference room, greeting and drinking and making plans. He could see it already, nearly one hundred old men gathering around him, each wearing their best robes and their family's crest ring. He'd shake each hand, and by the end of the night, he'd have a small red spot on his knuckle from the rings. They'd all drink a good fifty bottles of wine, maybe more, on top of the sherry, brandy, whiskey, and scotch served as they entered the parlor. Sighing again, Draco got up, pulled his hair back into a black ribbon, put on his black robes, and crossed to the door.

"How do I look?" he asked Cosette halfheartedly. She turned her head, her face impassive.

"Just like Lucius. Just like all those other men downstairs." She paused for a moment, watching a flicker of hurt pass across his features. "Good to know you learned something from all those Death Eater meetings we went to." Draco shook his head ruefully and left. On the second floor balcony, he could already hear the men crossing into the conference room, the scuffle of their heeled leather boots on the stone floor, the swish of the silk around corners, the clink of glasses and rings on glasses, the happy murmur of speech that drifted through the air. Draco could catch faint hints of their conversations, words like "finally" and "restore us" and "returned." Suddenly feeling sick, he turned away from the ledge and started to rush back to his rooms. Stopping on the third floor landing, he fell to his knees.

No. Stop that. Get up. Malfoys are never on their knees.

_You have more dignity than that._

Draco slowly pulled himself up, his throat tight, his body shaking. He'd be crying if he had any tears in him, but Malfoys don't cry. They don't care, they don't feel,_ right, Draco?_ He turned around and descended to the first floor. The halls were quiet, and he only heard the muffled voices of the men he'd summoned when he was right in front of the door. The two guards dipped their heads to him and opened the doors.

"Gentlemen," Draco said loudly, quickly commanding silence with a simple word. The one hundred old, wrinkled faces turned and smiled at him, some clapping, others standing and extending a hand to him as he passed on his way to the head of the table. Before sitting, he placed his palms out on the shiny oak table and smirked. "Sit down, my brothers. This is going to be a very important hour." He stopped as the men filling the room cheered for him, but Draco noted the tired chord in each voice. Most of these men would not live for more than three or four more years, they could never assemble together to support Draco on a rise to power. When the shouts subsided, Draco continued. "For our foreign visitors, I welcome you warmly to the British Isles. I thank you for coming, and I have a special assignment for you. Each one of you will return to his homeland, and recruit no less than thirty wizards."

"Thirty?" the elder from Vietnam repeated incredulously. "You can't be serious! It will be nearly impossible without being captured!"

"Do you doubt me?" Draco asked, his voice taking on that chilling quality that had made so many tremble at his father's feet. "Do you have the audacity to tell me I'm wrong?" The Vietnamese man bit his lip. He stared at his hands. He shook his head.

"I'll do it," he said finally, his voice shaky. Draco clapped him on the back, and the man jumped.

"Wonderful," Draco said, once again pleased with his meeting. "My foreign friends, please accompany this house elf to your portkey. I will see you all in a month." Fifteen men got up and left, none stopping to say goodbye to Draco. He smirked again. "To those left, I have assignments for each of you. To ensure that they will be completed, I ask each of you to extend the forearm that bears My Lord's Dark Mark." Each man pulled back his sleeve, and Draco inwardly shuddered. Picking up his wand, he placed it on the first man's wrist and pressed down. The man gasped in pain and tried to grab at the wound, but Draco clucked his tongue and held his wand steady. At last, he pulled away, allowing the man to nurse his pained wrist. "A locating device. I will be able to find you at any time, no matter where you are." Draco grasped the first man's wrist and showed them the small red circle. "It releases an incurable poison if tampered with." The men seemed hesitant, a few rubbing their wrists in anticipation. Draco grinned, and began to circle the room, endowing each man with his gift. When he finished, he sat, his boots resting on the table, and took a glass of brandy from a house elf.

"Sir," one man said after several minutes of silence. "What are our assignments?" Draco watched him closely for a moment, as if surveying whether he had been insulted. He nodded and waved his wand carelessly. The man who'd spoken flinched, but when he felt nothing, he cautiously opened his eyes. Letters had appeared at each place.

"Your assignments," Draco explained. "And now I must be going. One month, don't forget." Draco tapped his own, unharmed wrist as a silent reminder. He stood, bowed, and left. He got to the fourth floor before he stopped, leaning against a wall. His breaths started shortening and his vision started to blacken. He fell down, his body a limp, black figure on the ground, looking pathetically small next to the grandeur of the castle.

XXXXXXXXX

Author's Note : I really am so bad at updating, but my beta has been ridiculously busy as of late. College & all, I suppose. So I regret to inform everyone that these next few chapters will go un-beta-ed. If you'd like to help me out on future chapters, let me know ! But as for now, here you go. The sixth chapter will be posted pretty soon, as in within the next few hours.


	6. 6: More Today Than Yesterday

Cosette, who had been sitting by the window, watching as the visitors each got into a black car and were driven to a place safe to apparate from, jumped when the door was kicked open and four house elves levitated an unconscious Draco to his bed. She ran over, distressed, and demanded to be told everything.

"We found him like this," a young, scared looking elf explained. "All crumbly on the floor, miss."

"Too much dark magic," an older one, who had been present at the meeting, explained in a hushed tone. Cosette bit her lip to keep from crying and kneeled next to the bed. A plump elf came up to her and curtsied.

"If Miss would like," she said, "Bea will bring her up some tea and a warm cloth for the Master." Cosette nodded.

"That would be lovely, thank you." The elves all bowed and left hurriedly. Cosette grasped Draco's hand, kissing it softly and letting her tears spill all over it. "Oh, Draco," she whispered, not knowing whether or not he could hear her. "I would give anything to get you out of this, to have you back the way you were." Her voice caught in her throat, and despite her efforts, she began to sob. A few moments later, a small hand touched her arm. It was Bea, the house elf, with the promised tea. Bea smiled at Cosette, and disappeared. Taking up the cloth, Cosette sat on the edge of the bed next to Draco and began to wipe his face and neck. As she swiped across his collarbones, his hand reached up and grabbed her wrist. Draco's eyes fluttered open, and he smiled when he saw Cosette. At that moment, he wished nothing more than to tell her his plans, why he had to do what he was doing, why this was, in the end, best for them all, but she wouldn't understand. No, Draco thought, kissing Cosette's wrist as she cried and laughed and tried to speak, no, she would think up another way. He didn't need that, he didn't want that. Shaking his head, he smiled at her and put all other thoughts to rest.

"What happened?" he asked, prompting her to explain what she had been fumbling around.

"The house elves, they…" she trailed off, not wanting to believe what they had told her, wanting only for this moment to go on a little longer. "They said you'd collapsed in the corridor, after too much dark magic." Cosette's voice was small, meek, and Draco squeezed her hand.

"I didn't hurt anyone," he said softly, trying to quench her fears. "If that's what you were thinking, I didn't hurt them at all."

"I almost wished you had," Cosette responded, even softer than before. Draco sat up, wrapping his arms around Cosette and holding tight, though his vision began to sparkle and fade. She held onto him, wanting to absorb the knowledge of his master plan. "Why?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a note of betrayal. Draco sighed and let her go.

"Cosette…" Draco began, suddenly too tired to say anything. "Please, let this be. I'm sure that you'll understand everything soon, but for now, please, I need to rest." Cosette nodded, squeezing his hand once more as he lay down to sleep. Draco sighed and turned away from her, pulling the covers up to shelter his head. Cosette again kneeled next to the bed.

"Miss?" she heard a small voice ask. She turned slowly, lethargically, and saw a young house elf in the corner of the room.

"Yes?" she prompted, rubbing her eyes.

"If Miss needs anything, let Dopper know. Dopper would be proud to help Miss." Cosette nodded, conjuring a small smile. The elf grinned at her, and, instead of disappearing, tapped the wall behind him and walked out. Cosette, furrowing her brow, stood and crossed to it. Kneeling, she noted the small brown flower engraved in the wall. She glanced quickly over at Draco, who still had his head buried under blankets, and pressed the flower. The wall evaporated just like it had for the elf, and Cosette quickly followed the passage. It led down a long spiral staircase, and without her wand, Cosette was quite blind. She kept her eyes open to search out any bit of light, but she found that it was near impossible to even see where she was walking. She went slowly, quietly, carefully, testing out each step before she put her full weight on it. She only broke one; from the sound of the wood falling, she was near the bottom. More anxious than before, she hurried as fast as she dared down the rest and found herself in a small, circular room, probably at the bottom of a tower.

Cosette placed her hand on the wall and felt until she reached a door. Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she pushed open the door and was blinded by the intense amount of light in the room she now found herself in. After a few moments of watering eyes, she blinked and looked around. Nothing. Step. Step. Her shoes made echoing sounds each time they tapped the marble. She was on an inside balcony, overlooking a cathedral sized space. Cosette guessed it was a ballroom. Step. Step. Step. There was a staircase directly in front of her, and she started down it. Step. Step. Step. Step. It looked as though the room was empty, but she continued at the same pace.

At the bottom, she looked around, dully appreciating the beauty of the marble floors, the gold trimming, the silken walls. Turning to face the stairs she had just descended, she noticed a small black mound on the right side. She came a step closer. She could see that it was breathing; perhaps the black was its robes? Closer. She saw a pale neck extending from the top. Another step closer, and she could see his face. His eyes flickered over to her, immediately scanning across her and over her again and again. He sat up slowly, she swayed on her feet.

"Cosette?" he asked, his voice shaky and rough. Cosette smiled, her eyes tearing up all over again.

"Harry." She rushed over to him, collapsing against him, holding him as tight as she could manage. Harry breathed kisses against her hair, her face, her hands, her neck, her lips, and all she could do was cry. Harry inched her away, his handcuffed arms awkwardly between the two. Cosette placed her fingers on the links, pressed, and twisted. The handcuffs fell away, clattering to the floor with a ring like wind chimes.

Harry, disregarding this latest advancement on his escape, pulled Cosette into his arms and kissed her, kissed her and held her and loved her and pulled at her robes and his robes and her body to get her closer. Cosette kissed back her apology for everything, for pushing him away and for not knowing how to bring him back. Harry's hands were pushing, pulling, ripping away at the clothes between them, tossing away her robes, his robes, her shirt, his shirt, her skirt, his belt, and Cosette grabbed his wrists at that moment.

Harry's eyes were dark, they were heartbreaking, they were poignant in a way that drove her mad. She kissed him slowly, softly, the opposite of his motions, and her careful fingers flicked against the button, the zipper, the belt loops, his skin. His hands slowed to a pace to match hers and he pulled at the straps, the clasp, the waistband, her hips. They were undressed, undone, in each other's arms. Harry's face fell against her neck as he scooped her up and laid her gently in her back, her spine arching away from the cool marble. She laced her arms around his shoulders and he pulled away from her to look down into her eyes, to watch her as she nodded, as he shook, as he placed himself near her, at her, in her.

Her eyes stayed open, blinking slightly at the tears caught in the corners, and Harry kissed them. He stayed still, he stayed steady, and when she exhaled, it was the prettiest noise he'd ever heard. He pulled away, she pulled him back. They fell into a rhythm that was slow and leisurely and entirely unaware of the desperation they were feeling. She ran her fingers against his back, he was shaking and shuddering, and she was falling apart under the pleasure of the moment. She came, he shuddered, and she was full of him in a way that made her feel as though she might never have enough. He eased down next to her and brought her against him and kissed her ear as he lightly whispered, "I love you."

XXX

Hermione stayed home more than she had before. She went without reading, without sleeping, without eating, until a house elf brought her a sedative tea. She slept in Tristan's room, her baby who did not cry or fuss. Her baby who knew that his mother was there and all he had to do was whimper when he needed something. Hermione held him and sang to him and cried next to him, and all Tristan needed to do was hold his mother's finger and smile his baby smile at her for her to know that she was okay, that she was loved and loving, and that this beautiful boy was a microcosm of the love she felt for Draco. She had not seen or heard from Gavin since, and she was beginning to feel as if he was a dream, only coming to haunt her in the darkest recesses of the night.

"Madam," the house elf named Marieke said timidly one afternoon, "Miss Weasley is at the door."

"Send her up," Hermione said wearily, rocking Tristan in her arms on the chair by the window. She got up slowly and placed him on his back in his crib, pulling the soft chenille blanket over his legs and stomach.

"You look awful," she heard from the doorway, and Ginny Weasley was there, smirking in a concerned kind of manner. "Baby keeping you up?"

"No," Hermione answered, tickling Tristan as a goodbye gesture. "No, he's remarkably well behaved. I've just been feeling a tad ill lately."

Understatement of the century.

"Well, let's go get a cup of tea, then. I'm sure we both have things to talk about." Hermione agreed, and silently led Ginny down to the kitchens. Asking a house elf to provide them tea, she sat at an old oak table in the kitchen and motioned for Ginny to do the same.

"You go first," she said softly, gratefully taking her cup of chamomile.

"Well," Ginny began, "Work is great. Home is great. Ron's been kind of weird lately. Mum says that he's just feeling left out because Harry and Draco are off together, but of course he's still hung up on Camille. It would be really wonderful if he could find a nice girl for a change, not that you weren't nice, but one that's more his type and all." She paused, taking a sip. "Only thing that's bothering me is Gavin." What a coincidence. "He's been coming into the shop almost every day right before I get off. Sometimes he buys something, a new hat or cloak, or sometimes he brings me something. Flowers, wine, chocolates, you know." She knows. She got them too. "He'll take me out to dinner, for ice cream. We even went to a Muggle picture show, can you believe it? He misses some days, and always comes back looking exhausted, but he never tells me where he went. And sometimes-and this is what I'm worried about-sometimes I'll catch him looking at me like he's guilty of something." Guilty of causing infidelity. "I asked him once, what he was thinking about when he looked at me like that. And he said, 'I'm not the man you think I am. I've done things that I'm not proud of, and I wish beyond heaven that I could take it all back for you.' I can't for the life of me figure out what he means."

"Oh, I'm sure he's just done some stupid things he regrets." Not that Hermione is stupid, but he did her alright. "Probably back in his schooling years. You know, crazy kid stuff. Draco still regrets past experiences." It seemed satirical to bring up Draco at a time like this. Hermione found herself wishing she could crawl into bed for years and years.

"Mmm," Ginny mumbled, bringing her cup to her lips again. "I guess. Now, tell me your as of lates."

"Oh," Hermione started, trying to seem flippant about this. "I've just been under the weather lately. Missing Draco like crazy." Ginny nodded, and waited for Hermione to go on. "Nothing is really bothering me, just being alone besides a baby who can't talk." Silence. Ginny knew she was only skimming the surface, so she waited for the real answer. "I…" Hermione was reluctant, but Ginny's knowing eyes were too much. She sighed, looked down, and confessed. "I've slept with someone else. A-An old friend, he came by and we had lunch, but I guess I had too much wine or something, I can't even remember, and I was dizzy and hazy, and I can't remember anything besides waking up the next morning beside a man who wasn't Draco and I haven't slept or eaten or thought well since it happened and I feel nauseous all the time and my head hurts whenever I try too hard to figure it out." Ginny stayed silent, brushing her pointer finger along the rim of her cup. "Oh, Ginny, don't hate me, please, because I hate myself more than you know and I just can't bear it any longer."

"There's something shady about this whole thing, Hermione." Ginny stood, and Hermione felt her eyes tear up as she bit her lip to keep from crying. "I'll see you later, I think I need to go now." Ginny reached down and grasped her friend's hand tightly, before exiting the kitchen and leaving Hermione alone again. Hermione, feeling utterly abandoned, placed her head down on her table and cried. She heard a small scuttle between house elves, and one said, "Don't disturb her! We trust the other well enough," but Hermione disregarded it all. After an hour or so of motionless weeping, she returned to the nursery and rocked her baby till they were both asleep.

XXX

Cosette and Harry woke up later, still entwined in one another, not sure how much time had passed and not sure they even cared. She smiled at him as his lazy eyelids blinked away sleep and he kissed her again and again. They were breathing at the same pace, unconsciously beating their hearts in time. Harry rolled away, standing up and stretching, still without clothes. Cosette giggled, he bent back down and grinned. They needed no words, but Harry softly suggested, "Maybe you should head back. Merlin knows I never want you to leave, but sometimes they come in to check on me. Secrets are best when kept secret." Cosette sighed, but agreed.

They dressed each other, slowly, languidly, pausing for soft kisses and light touches. She buttoned his shirt up and he pulled her shirt on over her head and kissed her with everything he had. She started up the stairs, Harry watching her from the bottom, and when she was halfway up, they froze.

The locks on the door were coming open, someone's voice lilting through cracks as they tried to come inside. Harry turned toward Cosette slowly.

"Run," he whispered, and she did. The door to the staircase was still open, and just as she ducked behind it, she heard footsteps clacking on the marble.

"Hello, Harry," came a woman's voice, dripping with poisoned lust. Cosette was shaking, standing behind the door, not in the tower yet but too afraid to move or to close the door behind her. "Missed me any?"

"Rhiannon?" Harry choked out, feeling sickly surprised. "What…Why…why are you here?"

"Oh, come now, Harry. I came to see you!" She laughed, tilting her head back so her hair shook. "I mean, I did so love fucking you all those times, I thought a little repeat experience might be in order. Of course, this time things are a bit mixed up. Prisoner and captor? Mmm, I always had a bit of a like for those kinky things."

"You, you tricked me."

"No, honey, you tricked yourself." Rhiannon came closer, and Harry shoved his hands deeper into his cloak, trying to hide the lack of handcuffs. "I do so love your green eyes. They always look so damn sexy when you're fucking me."

Cosette, having had enough, took the final two steps and slammed the door. Rhiannon paused for a moment, glaring at Harry suspiciously, before heading towards the door.

Cosette was running up the stairs, her eyes wet with tears. She tripped once or twice, but the footsteps she heard following her didn't let her slow down. When she was five steps from the top, she fell through a step, her legs in a split holding her up. She struggled, but the wooden steps groaned and she stopped. Shaking, sweating, still crying, she was paralyzed. The door above her opened, and a moment later, strong arms picked her up and carried her to the room. She clung to Draco, and sobbed relief and hurt all at once. He held her for a moment before setting her on her feet and closing the door.

"She's following me," Cosette whispered, and Draco, looking confused, tilted his head. "She heard me downstairs, she's following me."

"Get under the covers and take off your shirt," he commanded. Unbuttoning his own shirt, Draco mussed up his hair and conjured two flutes of champagne, just in time for the door to open once again and reveal Rhiannon.

"There you…" she began, but stopped when she saw Draco.

"Problem?" he asked smoothly, setting one flute on the bedside table and taking a sip out of the other. "I usually don't allow anyone up my personal staircase."

"Your personal staircase?" Rhiannon mirrored, sounding confused. She looked around, seeing only a naked girl in the bed, waiting for Draco, and blushed slightly.

"Yes, I was headed to the kitchens to pick up a drink," he explained, holding up his champagne. "So what seems to be your problem? It must be important for you to be interrupting me."

"Oh, I just…thought I saw…oh, never mind."

"No," Draco said forcefully, now setting his own glass down. "Tell me."

"I thought I saw someone in the ballroom with the prisoner."

"And who said you were allowed to enter the ballroom?" Rhiannon stayed silent. Draco sighed, rubbing his temples with one hand, and waving her off with the other. "Get out of my rooms, and use the right door." Rhiannon nodded and hurried out. When she was gone, Draco buttoned his shirt back up and downed his champagne. "Now," he started, turning to Cosette who had also put her shirt back on. "Explain to me why you were down there with Harry?"

"A house elf went down that way, and I followed. I ended up in the ballroom, that's all."

"You were gone for close to five hours," he said shortly, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"We, uh, we talked. We figured things out." Draco sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"You know I'm going to have to forbid you from ever going down there again."

"I never want to again, not that I know he's been sleeping with her." Cosette's voice was quietly hurt, and Draco furrowed his brow.

"With her?" he asked, pointing towards the door. Cosette nodded. Draco sighed again, and kissed Cosette's forehead. "Then I suppose a little chat is in order between him and I." And, smirking halfheartedly, he went back to the staircase.


	7. 7: Love, Live, or Die

"How is she?" Harry asked as soon as he saw Draco, stopping dead. He'd been pacing back and forth in front of the door, his hands once again in cuffs. Draco stared at him for a moment.

"Who do you mean," Draco replied scornfully, "the one you're fucking or the one you're fucking over?"

"She told you?" Harry spat back, picking up his pacing again, a fire in his eyes. "Look, I never really meant to, it always just sort of happened. After Cosette started to avoid me, she sort of just appeared and I don't know, but then I found out that Cosette was gone, really gone, I haven't even thought of Rhiannon until she-"

"What did you say?" Draco asked sharply, advancing on Harry. "What did you say her name was?"

"Rhiannon," Harry answered slowly, "Rhiannon Montmorency, and I swear I never knew she was a Death Eater…where are you going?!" Harry yelled after Draco's retreating form. He tried to follow, but Draco slammed the door shut behind him, and Harry was left to pace some more.

Draco stalked up the stairs, pounding his feet and clenching his fists. When he got back to his room, he kicked the chair from under his desk, knocked over two lamps, punched the wall, and was starting on his bookshelf when Cosette caught his arms and pulled him back. He was crying, hot, angry tears that Cosette hadn't seen since they'd been children.

"What happened?" she asked softly, her eyes searching out his.

"It's Rhee," he whispered, turning to cradle Cosette in his arms. "That girl he's fucking, she was Edan's girlfriend Rhee."

---

Hermione was quietly reading a book she'd found in the library, Tristan on a blanket laying next to her, when a small, nervous looking house elf came up to her, wringing his hands.

"Miss, a man is here to see you." Hermione furrowed her brows and nodded to the elf, suggesting that the visitor be permitted. She went back to reading, albeit distractedly this time, before she heard a familiar, chilling voice.

"Hermione, love, you look unwell." She froze, her hands tightening on the book. "Don't tell me you've been under the weather?"

"Gavin," she said softly, making herself look at him. Instead of the pulling desire she'd hitherto felt when she saw him, her stomach turned and she was forced to look away again. "I think it's really best if you just leave."

"That's no way to treat a guest, darling," Gavin continued, moving to pour himself a brandy. "Would you like one?"

"No, thank you," Hermione ground out, feeling more and more anxious every second she was made to stay in his presence. "After your drink, I suggest you leave. I'm expecting other company."

"Oh, really? Perhaps I know them."

"I'm afraid you don't," Hermione lied, putting her book down sharply. Gavin raised an eyebrow and watched her during a long sip.

"Dearest, I think we should talk about certain things that have transpired between us," Gavin cocked his head in mock innocence, but Hermione could feel more than see the deceitful look in his eyes.

"Nothing 'transpired,' Gavin, but a few too many drinks and a mistake I'm trying to deal with," she spat, gathering up Tristan to put in his crib. She leaned over and stroked his happy little face with her finger, for a moment forgetting the man behind her. She turned around and crossed to the bar, pouring herself a glass of deep red wine. "Now, I'll have to ask you again, please get out of my house."

"Hermione," Gavin pressed, standing up and leaving his cup behind. "Why are you trying so hard to fight this?"

"I have nothing to fight!" Hermione exclaimed. Gavin's jaw set and he advanced on her, pushing her against the wall and knocking her glass from her hand, spilling wine on the carpet. Hermione gasped and struggled under his grip, his calloused hand scraping against the scar Lucius had left for her during the final battle, and Hermione's eyes watered.

"Look, sweetheart, I don't know what kind of game you're playing but I'm unfamiliar with the rules. Generally, having an affair results in more than one night, and while I'm prepared to wait, I have never been partial to denial." Gavin stopped, hearing the shattering of a glass not far behind him. He spun around, dropping Hermione, who cowered and held her throat.

"You fucking liar," Hermione heard a sweet, female voice she recognized. "You are absolutely fucking repulsive."

"Oh, Ginny," Hermione cried, rushing over, "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry, I wanted to tell you everything but I couldn't, I just couldn't and now…"

"Hermione," Ginny said softly, "Sit down, honey, get a drink and sit down." Hermione nodded, crying to herself over a new glass of wine, and curling up on a chair. Ginny was seething, watching Hermione until she sat, and then turning on Gavin. "Every word you ever said to me was a lie, wasn't it?" she demanded, her voice too loud and too shrill.

"No, Ginny, you don't understand…" Gavin pleaded, his composure undone for the first time Hermione could remember.

"I don't understand? Really?" She scoffed and moved closer. "I did a little research after I last saw Hermione. I found out that someone had slipped her Imperius potion in a glass of water, and probably her wine. And I was here to tell her, but I found you instead. So, congratulations, I can call the Ministry and they'll be here to send you to Azkaban and you'll have plenty of time to think about how you've effectively screwed us all."

"Ginny, please, let me explain myself!" Gavin yelled over Ginny. Ginny pulled back her arm and smacked Gavin across the face, her mother's ring leaving a heart shaped mark next to his left eye. Hermione cowered lower in her chair and Tristan began to whimper.

"You don't fucking need to," Ginny whispered, staying close to his face. "So get out now and make sure I never see you again or I'll put you in Azkaban." Gavin sighed, trudging out of the room silently. Ginny fell back into a chair and sighed.

"Gin?" Hermione asked softly after a moment. "Are you okay?"

"No, Hermione, I'm not, you're not, and we're not going to be until we finish every bottle of liquor left in this godforsaken manor."

---

Draco was pacing his room, Cosette curled up underneath the duvet on the bed. He'd exhausted himself with his outburst, but his feet wouldn't let him sit down. Rubbing his neck, Draco peered out the window, watching as the last black limousine drove off. He nodded, sighed, and stole softly out of the room. Halfway down to the main meeting room, he met Mallory.

"It's been ages since you were around," Draco drawled coldly, surveying the man before him with disdain.

"I'm here to tell you all the men you've summoned and their apprentices are in the main ballroom, awaiting your word," Mallory said, his eyes downcast and bloodshot. Draco placed a fingertip under his chin and pushed up, meeting his eyes. He frowned and ran his fingers over the heart shaped bruise gracing Mallory's left eye.

"What's that from?" Draco asked, curious. Mallory's eyes flicked around Draco's face, before he started to laugh desperately.

"It's what I got for fucking your wife," he said, his voice cracking and his eyes shutting with mirthless laughter. Draco ground his teeth together and punched Mallory as hard as he could. Mallory jetted off the landing and down a flight of stairs, coming to a stop at the banister on the next floor. He was still laughing, a trickle of blood spilling from his mouth and onto his cheek. Draco picked him up and set him on his feet, but Mallory had to lean against the railing to stay upright. "That's right, Malfoy, I fucked her and I fucked her friend. And they both would have done it again. You see, to them, I'm a charming lawyer who would do anything to make them happy, not just using them to undermine you and gain power." Draco punched him again, sending him down a few more stairs. Mallory lay at the bottom, his laughter bubbling up from his throat and spilling blood over the marble stairs. "Isn't that what this is all about?" he called, his voice thick. "It's a power struggle, and I intend to come out on top."

Draco slowly descended the next flight, his fists clenched and his jaw set. Mallory watched him approach, his laughter dying with each step, until he was panting on the floor in front of Draco. "Get the fuck in that room, and don't fucking leave. Tell the rest of them to wait with you." Draco picked up Mallory again and pushed him. "Go, or I'll fucking kill you right now." Mallory stumbled off as quick as he could, leaving a dribble of blood in his wake. Draco sighed, rubbing his eyes, before pulling out his wand, whipping it around in the air, and sprinting up the stairs.

---

Cosette woke with a start when the door banged open. "Draco?" she asked blearily, yawning. "Draco, what's wrong?" Draco was now rummaging through a closet.

"Go to the ballroom and get Harry, right now," Draco commanded. When Cosette made no motion, Draco turned. "I mean it, Cosette, you need to hurry." Cosette nodded, and pulled herself out of bed. She looked at Draco for another second before bolting down the stairs. She burst into the ballroom, finding Harry sitting near the door, staring at his feet. Cosette's stomach somersaulted and she took a deep breath.

"Harry," she started, and he looked up at her suddenly with so much hope that Cosette nearly cried. "Harry, come on. We have to hurry."

"What?" he asked, getting up to follow her. "Cosette, look, the window's have all slammed closed." Cosette paused a moment and surveyed the room. The window's weren't just closed, she deduced, but had disappeared entirely. She took a deep breath and turned back to Harry.

"Come on," she said, a bit shaken, and led the way upstairs. When they emerged in the bedroom, Draco was waiting for them, holding a napsack, two brooms, and a map.

"Here," he said, giving each a broom, Cosette, the map, and Harry, the sack. "The brooms are charmed to follow the map. It will lead you back to the manor. Stay there until you hear some word from me. Take care of my son, will you?" he asked Harry, biting his lip slightly. Harry nodded. Draco returned the gesture and reached into his robes. "Here are your wands," he said, holding out two identical pieces of holly wood. Cosette and Harry looked at them for a moment, taking the one closest to them, and feeling their own familiar magic tingle in their hands. "Now," Draco continued, striding to the nearest window and flinging it open, "Get out, and don't look back."

Just as he finished, the window on the far side of the room made a loud cracking sound as it shrunk, before disappearing with a pop. All three stared; two with wonder, one with dread. Harry turned to ask about it as the second window popped into oblivion and the third began, but Draco shook his head and motioned to the window. Harry nodded and jumped, flinging his broom between his legs and shooting off a little ways. From his perch, he could see that all but four windows had disappeared, and the castle was beginning to get hazy. Cosette came out a moment after, just before the last window started to crack. She flew up next to Harry, watching as the sealed up castle faded and shimmered like a mirage.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" she asked meekly, quietly. Harry sighed.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully, and followed Cosette as she streaked off into the distance.

---

Ron was pounding on the door, screaming, his face wet with sweat and tears. Hermione answered the door, her face expressing concern.

"Hermione, Hermione, I…I…" Ron began, but he collapsed against her, sobbing, shaking, and gasping desperately for air. "They're coming home, they're coming home!"

"Who is?" Hermione asked frantically, her heart jumping.

"Harry and Cosette, they're coming home, but Draco, Draco…" Ron shook his head, unable to look at Hermione. Ginny had been standing behind Hermione, and she saw her legs begin to weaken.

"Ron, come here," Ginny said softly, helping her brother stand, half carrying him inside. Hermione swayed on the front step, trying to guess what had happened, expecting the worst. A moment later, Ginny reappeared, her arms encircling Hermione in attempt to help her as well, but Harry and Cosette landed in the front garden before they got inside.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled, running to her. He grasped her as hard as he could, and she returned with just as much desperation. "We don't know what happened, there wasn't anything to do, he made me promise, he made me promise…" Harry breathed against her hair. Cosette moved slowly, almost unconsciously, toward the door, brushed past the three friends on the porch and disappeared.

"Harry, please tell me what happened," Hermione pleaded, her voice broken. Harry bit his lip.

"The whole place, the whole damned castle just shut itself up and disappeared. Draco, he…he…" Harry stuttered, trembling, but Hermione squeezed his hands to urge him on. "He sent Cosette and I off, and he disappeared with the castle." Hermione stayed still for a moment, her eyes searching Harry's.

"Ginny, can you please go check on your brother? Take Harry with you, and ask the house elves to brew up a real strong pot of tea. This is going to be a long night." Ginny nodded, taking Harry's hand and leading him inside. Hermione took a deep breath. The night was cool, a precursor to the winter ahead. The end of October, and Hermione thought back exactly one year to the Halloween ball, the excitement at seeing everyone together again. And now here they were again, yet now missing three. Another deep breath, and she turned and went inside.

Ron was still shaking, more mildly, but it was obvious he had something to say. Harry was next to him on the couch, Ginny in a chair opposite. Cosette was nowhere to be seen, but Hermione figured she knew her way around well enough. Ron jumped when Hermione came in, and immediately sprang into motion.

"Hermione, I had a dream. I've been having dreams, all week long. I know. I know everything, Hermione, but I just don't know how it all ends."

---

A.N. So here I am. Chapter seven. On the night HP5 comes out in theatres. A little bonus to the night, so to say. Still unbeta-ed. Probably unrevised. Reviews are always welcome, although I feel like my readers have all supposed me dead by now, considering it's been ten months since I last updated, and I am very sorry for that.


	8. 8: Home Is Where The Heart Is

Even two weeks after Harry and Cosette had come home, the manor still had a dismal atmosphere. No one had seen Cosette since she'd slipped away that night except the house elves who would occasionally give Hermione an update on her well being. Harry had been instructed to return to Hogwarts to continue teaching, despite his pleas to resign. Ron could not be persuaded to explain his dreams until he was sure of an outcome; they were changing every night, sometimes clear and precise and other times hazy. It was mid-November, the trees were losing leaves quickly, and the cold had begun to sweep in from the north.

"Harry," Hermione began one morning, while Harry was home for the weekend. "You've really got to go speak to her."

"I can't, Hermione, I just can't." Harry dropped his head into his hands, muffling his words. "It's different now, everything is different."

"I'm sure she's just upset about Draco," Hermione said quietly, briefly wondering if Cosette might be missing him anywhere near how much she was.

"Hermione, I slept with someone else." Silence. She was waiting for the rest. "I've slept with someone else, and then I slept with Cosette, and I told her I loved her. And I do, oh, gods, I do love her, but she'll never believe me now that she knows."

"Harry…" Hermione breathed, pulling his hands down into hers and looking him in the face. "You have to go talk to her." Harry nodded, searching Hermione's weary eyes for a shred of courage before excusing himself to find Cosette. She was in the same room she stayed in over the summer holidays, the one right next to Harry's. He knocked lightly on the door, and when no answer came, he opened it slowly.

"Cosette?" he began hesitantly. He searched the dim room for her, and spotted her next to her window. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Talk to me?" Cosette answered, her voice sharp. "Tell me what, how sorry you are for having lied to me so many times, how terrible it is that you had to break my heart, but oh, too bad, you'll just run off with my brother's girlfriend and live your picturesque life until she leaves you like she left him?"

"What?" Harry whispered, coming closer to Cosette. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, she didn't tell you?" Cosette spat sarcastically. "She was Edan's girlfriend before he died, she was the one who planned the whole attack on my father. She's a genius, she planned nearly every lower class mission the Death Eaters ever executed."

"Oh, gods," Harry sighed, running his hands through his hair. "Oh, Cosette, I'm so sorry."

"You are now, but I doubt you would have been a month ago when you wouldn't look at me, when you were sleeping with her every night."

"I told you, I never meant to!"

"So she poisoned you every night? Slipped you a little potion to turn you into her little kitten?" Harry sighed, and turned away.

"I don't know what else to say to you. I'm sorry. I'm more sorry than you could imagine."

"No one is as sorry as I am," Cosette said softly. "Sorry that I ever trusted you with anything, sorry that I ever slept with you, and most of all, sorry that I ever loved you."

"You…you loved me?" Harry asked softly, almost inaudibly. Cosette scoffed.

"Of course I loved you. I've loved you forever and ever. But not now, not anymore. Draco said you didn't give second chances, you don't let anyone hurt you twice. Well, I won't let you hurt me again."

"Cosette, please," Harry begged, his voice still so quiet, this time his hands shaking and his feet carrying him even closer to her. "Please, don't do this. I won't hurt you ever again, I promise."

"Harry, you'll keep hurting me till the day I die," Cosette whispered back. "I gave you everything, and look how cheap that was to you." Harry, near tears, bit his lip and shook his head.

"You'll never know how much I regret what I've done to you. You'll never know how many nights I've spent awake, wishing you were next to me. How many mornings I've woken up and wished yours was the first face I'd see. How many days I've spent wanting to hold you, see you, talk to you. You mean the world to me and more, and I wish, oh, I wish you could see that." Cosette stayed facing the window, disregarding Harry's words. With a sigh, Harry started for the door.

"Wait," Cosette breathed, so lightly Harry nearly missed it. He paused, turning back towards her with his hopeful gaze. "Harry, there's something I need to tell you."

---

"Ron, please, just tell me," Ginny pleaded, sitting with her brother in the library. The fire was roaring in its grate, warming the dim room only slightly. "I can see it's killing you to not be able to tell anyone." Ron sighed.

"You're right, I know you're right, but I can't worry you with it," he said softly, running his finger around the rim of his glass. "It's too much."

"Too much to handle by yourself," Ginny said, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder. "I just want to help you." Ron looked up at Ginny, wondering when his baby sister got to be so strong.

"I just, I see Hermione crying. Sometimes I see a hoard of black cloaked men, and they're whispering in a dark room. I see a man with a heart shaped scar with blood on his face, breathing hard against a wall. And I see Draco…but it's so hazy. I don't understand it at all."

"Oh, Ron," Ginny said with a sigh, looking down at her lap. Suddenly, Ron perked up and grabbed her hand.

"They're coming, oh Ginny, they're _here_." Jumping up, Ron ran to the door, Ginny close behind. As Ron threw open the door, Ginny waited in anticipation of seeing a hundred Death Eaters ready to fight. Instead, she could just make out two figures huddled together, making their way through the night toward the castle. Ginny squinted and, as they came closer, saw a shock of pale skin and long, tangled blonde hair.

"Snape!" Ginny cried, running out onto the lawn, whisking her wand out for light. "Oh, gods, you're alive!" Snape smiled slightly, still helping Narcissa walk up the hill. Ginny lit the way up to the door, Ron helping them all inside and to the library, where he summoned some blankets and sent a house elf for tea.

"Thank you," Narcissa said with a weak smile, falling onto the loveseat with Severus next to her. Ron set the blankets over their shoulders and prepared their tea while Ginny ran to rally everyone else. After calling to Hermione from the top of the stairs, Ginny paused, before running up another flight to find Harry and Cosette. She heard their voices in Cosette's room, and burst in, forgetting her manners entirely. It looked as though she'd interrupted Cosette speaking. Bashfully smiling and blushing, Ginny murmured an apology quickly, before she announced Snape and Narcissa were back and they'd really better hurry. Cosette was frozen for a second, before she leapt up and followed Ginny hurriedly out of the room. Harry followed slowly, not in any rush. Now that they were home, they'd be hard pressed to leave again. He arrived in the library a few minutes later, but Cosette and Narcissa were still hugging, and Severus looked like he was doing a mediocre job of comforting a teary eyed Hermione. Harry sighed, and sat down in between his two best friends, opposite Cosette and Narcissa.

"Now," Narcissa began, wiping her eyes and feigning a smile. "Tell me…" she trailed off, looking around the room. "Where's Draco?" she asked, her voice suddenly shaky and her smile gone. Everyone stayed silent, looking at one another. No one was sure.

"He, um…" Harry started, biting his lip nervously. "Well, see, Cosette went missing and Draco and I went to find her, but then he locked us in a castle but then let us go and the whole castle just sort of disappeared." He'd said this all very quickly, and was now dreading having to explain any of it again. Narcissa nodded, looking over to Severus.

"You said the castle disappeared?" Severus asked, placing a comforting hand on Narcissa's leg. Harry nodded. "Draco's really outdone himself this time."

"Does that mean you know what happened?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so," Severus answered with a sigh. "It's a very old spell, used when witchcraft was developing worldwide in the sixteenth century. When something was believed to exude bad spirits, the local witch was called to seal the area so that nothing could get out. Primitive, but very effective. It depends on which strain Draco used…if we don't know, we can't help." Hermione whimpered, collapsing into Harry's shoulder and sobbing. He ran his hand across her shoulders, trying to be comforting, but he wasn't sure anything would help at this point.

"I…um, well, maybe I could help?" Ron interjected weakly. "I've been having these visions and I'm fairly sure they're recent enough to suggest Draco is still alive and well, and um, well…"

"You can see him through the charm?" Severus asked, intrigued. Ron nodded, and was soon dragged away by Severus to do research or something of the sort. Narcissa excused herself soon after, disappearing to what was, presumably, her bedroom. Ginny took Hermione to get some tea, and Cosette and Harry were once again left alone.

"Did you, um, want to say anything?" Harry asked, nervous again. Cosette sighed and stood up.

"I'm not sure that this is the right time, Harry." She sounded tired, Harry noted, and wondered if she'd been sleeping or eating well during her self-imposed isolation.

"Okay," Harry said softly, standing up to leave the room. "I'll be around till tomorrow afternoon if you wanted to talk again, but then I'm going back to Hogwarts till the holiday." Cosette nodded, and Harry left, desperately wishing he could kiss her goodbye.

---

Ron was exhausted. Severus and he had been researching possible binding spells all night; he didn't know what time it was, but the lightening sky hinted that it was close to five a.m. Fruitless searches through tomes caked with dust from the dark ages had given the room a desperate air.

"Professor, I think we should get some sleep, try again later. Something else, I can't even think anymore!" Ron collapsed back in his chair, rubbing at his bloodshot eyes. Severus sighed.

"Maybe that would be best," the older man conceded, looking even worse due to his already shabby state at arrival to the manor. Severus closed the book he was reading, and stood. "Go to bed, Ron. We can't do anything more tonight."

XXXXX

A/N: I'm sorry again for the long space in between chapters. This will be finished one day, I promise you! Shorter chapter, but it all comes together next.


	9. 9: A Life Long Walk

December came, and the snow began to fall. It came down nearly every day, layering the earth in white blankets and encrusting each branch in ice. Harry stayed behind at Hogwarts until Christmas eve, when Dumbledore nearly pushed him out the front door. Harry took the train home, his heart beating faster each mile. This wouldn't be a warm, family Christmas, like the ones spent at the Burrow with the whole Weasley family, plus a variety of baked goods made en masse. He was fairly sure that the Weasleys were all celebrating in Egypt this year; Bill had sent plane tickets earlier that year. Ron and Ginny might be staying back, he hadn't thought to ask. With a deep breath, Harry prepared himself for the holidays. Maybe another sweater could cheer him up.

When he arrived at the Manor, he let himself in. It was too cold to wait for a house elf to go through the niceties of allowing a guest inside. Figuring someone would be by the fire in the library, Harry started there, pushing open a door to the welcoming site of Ginny and Ron, each lounged in a chair with a book in their laps.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny said nonchalantly, turning a page but not looking up.

"Good to see you, mate," Ron said with a grin, standing up and hugging Harry fiercely. "We've been researching since you left, but we haven't got a bloody clue on how we're going to find Draco."

"Really? Snape either?" Harry asked, perching on the arm of Ginny's chair. "I thought for sure he'd have cracked this."

"Nothing," Ron repeated, sounding more tired than Harry had ever remembered. A soft silence fell over them then, the only sound the soft rustling of pages.

"Hm," Ginny murmured, bringing the book closer to her face. "Listen: _Magical signatures are unique to each wizard; a certain variation is present for each. The records of all magical signatures are kept at the Ministry of Magic and are used in catching criminals or minors breaking the Underage Use of Magic laws._" Ginny paused, looking up, her eyes bright. "You suppose we could track Draco down with this?"

"Ginny, you're bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, throwing his book over his shoulder and jumping up. "Go tell Snape!" Ginny held out the book to him, the page dogeared, and Ron grabbed it up and ran away without questions. Ginny smiled, watching as the door eased shut behind him.

"Cosette's still up in her room, I think it would be good for you to go say hello," she said softly, standing to follow her brother. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas, Gin," he repeated to her retreating form. With another deep sigh, Harry stood and made the journey to Cosette. He knocked on her door, and again, receiving no answer, opened it a crack.

"Hello?" he called softly, pushing the door open a little further. "Cosette?" She was sitting on her bed, cross legged in the midst of all those covers.

"Harry," Cosette said, her voice mild and subdued. "You can come in." Harry entered slowly, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click. Cosette got up and came to stand near Harry. She was wearing an extremely oversized tee shirt, emblazoned with the Beauxbatons crest.

"Hey." Harry's voice was meek, unsure, and he ran his hand through his hair in nervousness. "I want to apologize again, I've been-"

"I'm pregnant," Cosette interrupted suddenly. "I didn't want to tell you cause I didn't want you to make any decisions, but I'm keeping it and there's nothing you can do, and if you don't want to be around, that's fine, I don't want to tie you down, I just had to tell you cause it's yours, it has to be, I've never slept with anyone else and…" she trailed off, taking a breath. She'd been talking very fast. "That's all, I guess. Thought you should know, is all."

"You're pregnant?" Harry breathed, his heart picking up a wild drumbeat against his ribcage. "You mean it, we're going to have a baby?" Cosette nodded, looking down at her feet and pulling at her near waist length hair. "Oh, this is wonderful!" Harry exclaimed, picking her up and spinning her around.

"You…you're happy?" Cosette asked incredulously, her eyes giving away her shock. "You're not mad at me or anything?"

"Cosette, how could I ever be angry?" Harry asked, pulling her close to him again. "You're all that I have ever wanted, and I'll love you till the day I die, and probably even after. I love you, I love you, I love you." And Harry tilted her chin up and kissed her.

And kissed her.

And kissed her.

XXX

"Snape!" Ron yelled, bursting open the back study door and throwing the book on the desk. "Ginny's found the answer, right here!" Severus looked where Ron was pointing, ignoring the discourteous entrance.

"Magical signatures, of course!" Severus murmured, his eyes scanning the text. "How did we not think of this before? I'll have to owl the ministry immediately to make an appointment at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, that's where they keep the records…" Severus trailed off, half expecting Ron to listen and half disregarding him, and shuffled through the desk drawers for a quill and some parchment. He scribbled out a short, yet formal, note, and sealed the back, just in time for Ginny to come in with Hermione and Narcissa.

"I thought the Malfoy women might like to hear of the new advancement in our situation?" Ginny explained, sitting down on the arm of the chair closest to the fire.

"We'll have to take a meeting with the Head of the Department, but if all goes well, we should be able to track down Draco and then, with a few spells, be able to decipher what it is he used to cloak the house." Severus paused here, wishing that the two women before him would show a touch more hope in their eyes, instead of that permeating weariness everyone was wearing nowadays. "Weasley and I will travel out to meet with the Ministry, and then to find Draco. You three can stay here, take care of Cosette."

"Why will she need taking care of?" Ron started to ask, but Harry burst through the door.

"Ron, you have to come with me, there's something I need to get and I need your help, hurry, there's only two hours till dinner. Come on!" Harry grabbed Ron's sleeve and began to pull him out the door. Severus smirked slightly, standing and holding his arms out for Narcissa.

"We'll find him, love. We'll bring him back safe," he whispered into her hair. Hermione sighed.

"Do you promise?" she asked, mirroring Narcissa's own thoughts. The older woman pulled back to look at her lover, her eyes betraying the tiniest spark of hope. Severus smiled.

"I promise. We'll find him. I know we will." Severus ran a delicate touch across Narcissa's cheek. "I just know we will."

XXX

"Harry, I don't know how you came to decide that Christmas eve was an appropriate time to go shopping, but this better be a short list. It's freezing out here and the house elves promised to make pudding for dessert," Ron complained as Harry rushed through the streets of London. They'd taken the floo into Diagon Alley but Harry had wanted to venture into the Muggle city.

"Ron, please. This is very important," Harry responded, pushing open the door of a jewelry shop.

"Jewelry?" Ron asked, skeptical. "Who are you planning on buying jewelry for?"

"Cosette," Harry murmured, his eyes skimming the displays. A clerk came over and watched the two for a moment before speaking.

"Can I help you two?" he asked curtly. Harry, without taking his eyes from the cases, answered.

"I need a ring, a big sparkly diamond ring. Preferably with white gold, maybe some amethysts, but I need it right now." Ron gaped.

"A ring, Harry? You're not…"

"Yes, Ron, I am proposing to her tonight and there's nothing you can do to stop me. This is really what I want." The clerk pursed his lips and disappeared. Harry finally turned around to face his best friend. "You'll be the best man?"

"If I wasn't, I'd be horribly upset and hurt," Ron said very seriously before he broke down and cracked a smile. "But you're totally sure?"

"Of course," Harry said softly, smiling. "She's perfect and I love her."

"Oh, he's lost it," Ron said, pretending to be sick. "He's off the rocker, all the magic has ruined his brain."

"Ahem," the clerk interrupted. "Does this fit your needs?" Harry looked down quickly, still smiling. Exactly what he wanted. Square cut diamond, set between two smaller, round amethysts in white gold. Perfect.

"I'll take it," Harry said immediately. He paid for it, and left with the little black box weighing heavy in his pocket. Ron was still shaking his head as they left.

"Now can we go home and eat?" he asked, grabbing his stomach. "I'm dying of starvation over here!"

"Oh, Ron, if you were starving, I'm sure we would have stopped along the way to get you a week's worth of snacks."

"Brilliant idea, mate!" Ron exclaimed. "Do you think there's a store on the way home?"

XXX

The manor had a cheery mood that evening, better than it had seen in months. Everyone was dressed up for dinner, and the house elves had prepared a feast to rival Hogwarts. Narcissa and Hermione sat at the heads of the table, and everyone else had filled in the in between. Mrs. Weasley had sent a packet full of photos that were being passed around, and a sweater for each person. Narcissa had laughed and tugged hers on immediately, while the others put theirs under their seats, Severus eyeing his suspiciously. The conversation was light, the laughter free; it seemed a new excitement had filtered through since their recent advancement on the plan to find Draco. And even though Ron had insisted Harry and he stop three times for snacks on the way home, he still had room for a second helping of Christmas pudding. Harry sat back and yawned, watching as the people he loved finally smiled. The night was going perfectly.

As everyone decided to retire to the parlor for drinks, Harry asked Cosette to accompany him to the wine cellar to choose a bottle for the evening. She selected a 1952 vintage merlot, which was, in her opinion, an excellent year, and Harry picked a bottle of champagne at random. As the two made their way back toward the others, Harry stopped in the sunroom, where the abundance of windows provided a view of the gardens. The moonlight glinted off the snow just right, illuminating the icicles and the deep red winter roses. He gently placed his bottle on the table, and took Cosette's to do the same.

"Cosette," he began, taking her hands in his. "Do you forgive me for everything I've done?" She stopped, looking down at their intertwined fingers and biting her lips. She noted that Harry's skin retained that sun kissed bronze color, even in the winter, and that her hands seemed so delicate and small next to his.

"Yes," she answered quietly, in almost a whisper. "As long as you forgive me." Harry laughed softly.

"I'd forgive you anything, you know that," he murmured, holding her hands a bit tighter. "I want to ask you, then…" He trailed off, taking the small box he'd been fiddling with all evening out of his pocket. "I want to ask you to marry me." Cosette stared at him. She searched his eyes for a moment, cataloguing the forest green color the darkness was allotting them.

"Are you sure, Harry?" she asked, so meekly. Her voice wavered a touch. "I mean, what about…"

"There's never been a doubt in my mind," he interrupted, his own voice sure and steady. "There hasn't been a day since we met that I haven't loved you."

"Oh," Cosette sighed, bringing him into her arms in a fierce embrace. "Oh, Harry, of course I will." Harry smiled into her hair, pulling back long enough to slip the ring onto her finger, before capturing her in a kiss. They stayed locked to each other for a moment or two, neither one remembering when they'd ever felt this happy, this complete. But the minute passed and Cosette smiled coyly.

"What?" Harry asked, his own mouth pulling into a smile.

"They'll wonder what we've done with the wine if we don't come back soon," she said, lacing her fingers with his and picking up her bottle. "Besides," she continued, "I want to tell them our news."

"All of it?" Harry asked, grabbing his bottle and beginning to walk back. "Baby and wedding?"

"I think we'll stick with the wedding for now," Cosette answered, slowing as they came to the parlor door. "Poor Narcissa couldn't handle any illegitimate children, I think. Her pureblood heart might just explode!" She laughed then, sparking another grin from Harry, and the two pushed the door open together.

XXX

Ron tossed and turned all night. When he woke the first time, he blamed it on having too much to drink, or maybe it was that midnight third helping of dessert. Either way, the moon shone down on his face and made him feel dizzy and sick. He finally fell into a fitful sleep, only to be haunted by the faces of his days.

_"It's just you left now, mate," Harry was saying to him. He was wearing a suit, and it seemed they were in a church. "You better buckle up or else she'll get cold feet, too."_

_A blonde girl, so small and petite, blushing in a village street, pulling up a bucket of water from a well. "Here," she said softly, and her voice dripped of melody. "This will help him heal."_

_The same girl, now laying under him, breathing in soft, ragged gasps, her back arched against him…_

Ron sat up with a deep breath, his whole body tense and aching. He rubbed his temples and took a sip of water from the cup next to his bed. Every night for weeks now, he'd been having these visions, but this was the first night he could remember not seeing Draco. The sun was peeking over the horizon as Ron stretched. He couldn't sleep now, he wouldn't get caught up in what exactly this might mean. Luckily enough, he was interrupted by a quick rap on the door. Severus strode in confidently, clutching a piece of parchment.

"They've granted us a meeting," he said, his voice still raspy from sleep. "We leave in one hour."

XXX

a/n: tada! a new chapter! this is dedicated to the last reviewer, who motivated me to write more. whoever it is that let me know i still have at least one avid reader, thanks :)

as always, reviews are welcome.


	10. 10: Waiting By The Window

The click clack of footsteps echoing against the marble walls was reminding Ron of the rhythm his heart was beating out as he and Severus came closer and closer to Amelia Bones' office for their meeting. He'd never met her personally, but his father worked in her department, and he'd heard many a horror story of her strict, abrasive personality. He gulped; was it too much to ask of her, would they be granted permission? Not that Ron particularly cared if he ever saw Draco Malfoy again, he just couldn't stand how down everyone had been lately, especially Hermione. He'd do anything for her to smile like she used to.

"Here we are," Severus said quietly, his voice sounding far more steady than Ron's must have. With a final look at each other, the two men pushed the door open and entered.

Amelia Bones was sitting at her desk, reading what Ron assumed to be a report of some kind. She looked intimidating- hair pulled into a tight bun, small square-framed glasses perched on her nose, the corners of her mouth turned down in disapproval. Ron bit his lip nervously and hoped that Snape knew what to say.

"Amelia," he began, his voice formal with a hint of warmth in the undertones. "You're looking well. Is the Ministry treating you well?"

"Well, Severus," Amelia began, pushing the report away. There was a familiarity in her voice; Ron wondered how these two might know each other. "Long hours, vacations are hard to come by, and I just cannot figure out why students will not just abide by underage magic laws. But I suppose it's been alright. You said you wanted to speak about the magical signatures?"

"Yes, I did," Severus said, sitting casually in a chair in front of Amelia's desk. He motioned for Ron to do the same, and he scrambled awkwardly into the other chair. Amelia looked at him critically for a moment, before focusing back to Severus. "My former student has gone missing, you see, and we think that using his magical signature will help us track him down."

"What if he isn't using magic?" Amelia posed. She didn't sound as if she was too terribly concerned with any of this. "It will be no help."

"Yes, well, we're fairly certain he is. If I could just be allowed to try…"

"The problem being it is illegal for unauthorized persons to gain access to those files," Amelia interrupted, pushing her glasses up her nose a smidge.

"Which is why I am asking someone who is more than authorized, as head of this department," Severus retorted. The muscles in his jaw tightened in annoyance. Ron braced himself.

"Yes, but you still won't be allowed to read it. And anyway, you haven't convinced me that I should pull this student's file at all, much less break code for you." Amelia Bones was all Mr. Weasley had said she was. Stern to a fault, far more than stubborn.

"Amelia," Severus began, his teeth gritted. "I know that you have the capability of gaining access to that file and waiving the code so that I may take a copy home and perform a locator charm. Now, all I am asking is for you to grant me this favor so that I may potentially save the life of a child who is in danger of being swayed toward the rising of a second Dark Lord. You remember what it was like when no one listened to the warning signs in the past. I'd rather we not repeat our past mistakes." Severus was calm, but his anger smoldered beneath his eyes. Ron had been the focus of that displeasure too often to not recognize it. Amelia sighed, rubbing her eyes beneath their lenses.

"I will break policy for you this once, Severus, only because I know you only ask for help in dire circumstances. But if I catch word of you doing anything remotely illegal with this information…"

"I know, Amelia," Severus interrupted with a rueful smirk. "I'll actually get shipped to Azkaban this time." Amelia nodded, and smiled slightly, reaching down into a desk drawer that Ron was fairly certain had been charmed to hold the files of every witch and wizard in England.

"Name?" she asked, her voice muffled by the barrier of the desk.

"Draco Malfoy," Severus answered, his voice stiff and sure. Amelia looked up, her mouth a tight line.

"I see," she said, pausing to exchange a look before ciphering through the files. She finally emerged with a packet three or four inches thick. "There you go," she announced, dropping the file on the desk with a loud thump. "Should contain everything and anything you need to know about this student of yours."

"Thank you, Amelia," Severus said, a mock of a smile flashing across his lips. "I'll return it when we find him." He stood then, again motioning Ron to follow suit. They exited quickly, but he'd heard Amelia call a soft 'good luck' as the door snapped shut. Severus started down the hallway at a quick pace, and Ron had to rush to keep up.

"Um, Professor?" he asked quietly, while they were waiting for the elevator. "Are everyone's files that full of top secret information?"

"No, Mr. Weasley, they are not," Severus answered with a weary sigh. "Unfortunately, Mr. Malfoy was a top priority in the Magical Law Enforcement Department. Which means we must keep in mind…" Here, Severus trailed off as the two men boarded the elevator, which was blessedly empty. Severus pushed the button for their floor and waited for the doors to close before he continued. "We must remember that Draco had seemingly betrayed Potter during their journey to find Miss Lestrange. He may not want to be found. He may prove dangerous. We just don't know."

"But he's played this traitor card before, doesn't that mean he's just playing it again?" Ron asked, surprised at how hopeful he sounded.

"It would ordinarily, but one must always remember that manipulation, cunning, and detailed planning are traits that run rampant in that bloodline." The elevator doors opened, and Severus paused only momentarily before leaving. "You simply can never trust a Malfoy."

XXX

When the pair arrived back to the manor, Severus sent Ron to pack immediately; after he was done, they'd all gather to perform the locator charm and then Severus and he would leave right after. Ron took his time packing, distracted by the conversation in the elevator. If Draco really was planning to begin a new regime as Voldemort's successor, Hermione would have a lot to deal with, especially with Tristan. They'd all have a lot to deal with. Harry couldn't save them this time. As far as anybody knew, there was no prophecy, no savior. They'd have to fight all over again. And another war meant more casualties. And no one wanted to think about that.

When he was finally finished, Ron made his way downstairs. He heard raised voices from a room next to the staircase; he presumed this to be a dining room or a conference room or something like that. He was almost to the open door when he heard Harry's voice, clear and sure above the rest.

"I should go," he said, and Ron could almost feel Cosette cringe. "I mean, I've been there before, I can get us around. That is if he's still in the same castle."

"Absolutely not," Severus responded, his voice as cold as if they were back in school, the familiar student-teacher rivalry bearing its teeth one more. "I've been there, too, Potter, and seen the castle as a prisoner could not. You are to stay here and help out. These women need someone strong and sure, someone to cling to in this time of distress."

"They're all extremely capable, independent women!" Harry exclaimed, anger pouring into his words. "They are more than able to care for themselves! Just because they're women doesn't mean that they are weak!"

"You'd leave your fiancée in her current state?" Severus asked, leaving the hysterics to Harry, who was gaping at the elder man.

"What…what state do you presume her to be in?" he asked, suddenly hesitant. Ron entered then, too nervous to continue his eavesdropping. Severus looked over at him, and then back to Harry.

"I don't suppose you two have told anyone else?" he asked quietly. Cosette shook her head. "Well, then I will spare you the embarrassment." The last word was dipped in sarcasm. Harry looked down, suddenly feeling the gap in age like he never had before. Ron tried to catch his eye, but his gaze remained riveted to the floor. Harry stepped back and grabbed Cosette's hand. Ginny entered quietly then, coming to stand by her brother, knowing she shouldn't interrupt.

"I'll stay," Harry said softly. Severus nodded.

"Then Weasley and I will go as soon as the Malfoy women…"

"I'm coming with you, and there's not a damn thing you can say that will convince me otherwise," Narcissa interrupted, bursting through the door in a fury of white cloaks. Severus looked up, obviously pained by this.

"Narcissa, please…"

"No, Severus, this is my son we're speaking about! My only child… you think I could wait around here any longer, not knowing what's become of him?"

"But if Lucius returns to the manor…" Severus began again. Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked up at each other suddenly; _they didn't know!_

"Then there will be ample wards put up to keep him out. If anything, we should worry about him meeting Draco out there. This whole mess sounds like something Lucius would have concocted. We shouldn't be worrying about anyone here; we should worry about Draco!" Narcissa was right up in Severus' face, her cheeks flushed with anger. Severus sighed deeply.

"Narcissa, I could not forgive myself if I ever put you in danger's way," he said softly. Narcissa backed off a touch.

"You won't be," she answered back, just as softly. "I'm doing this to myself. Please, Severus, you don't understand. I must go."

"If you feel you must," Severus answered after a moment's pause. "Then I am afraid there is nothing I can do that will stop you. Just be warned, Draco may prove to have followed his father's plans. As I've said before, he betrayed Potter. He imprisoned him and Cosette both. If he's hell bent on following the ways of Voldemort…"

"He wouldn't!" Hermione whispered from the doorway. No one had even seen her come in. "He wouldn't do that to me. Right, Harry? Cosette?" They all stared at the meek figure, huddled with her baby. She looked so small in that moment, so full of doubt and pain that it made them all ache with her burden.

"We don't know, Hermione," Harry said finally. "We really just don't know." Ron crossed the room to envelope both her and Tristan in her arms. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and walked to the table. A map of England had been set out, the charm set to place a blinking dot wherever Draco was.

"We ready then?" she asked, suddenly back in control and strong as ever, despite the tears she was furiously blinking back. "I've read up on this charm, I'm sure I'll be able to complete it. Do you mind if I try?" Of course, no one could deny her this, a little piece of helping to find her husband. "Great. Cosette, hold Tristan," she murmured, handing the baby over. Tristan cooed and placed his tiny hand on Cosette's cheek. She smiled and looked over at Harry, who tried to hide his grin. Hermione had taken out her wand and Severus had handed her the implements to Draco's magical signature. She took it and began humming the charm, flicking her wand across the map. Everyone watched with bated breath; even Tristan was quiet with the weight of the moment. She finished, standing up straight and waiting. A minute passed where everyone harvested the doubt growing in their minds, but then. Then a little spark on the map lit up, and began to glow more brilliantly with every passing second.

"Oh!" Narcissa breathed, her eyes coming to life as she looked up at Severus. "Oh, it worked!"

"Then should we head out?" Severus asked, grasping Narcissa's hand in his own. Ron stared for a moment, still not used to simple acts of affection from someone he once feared so much. Narcissa was nodding, and Severus was waiting for Ron to answer.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah," he said, a little awkwardly. "Now would be great."

"It seems he's moved the castle to somewhere east of Norwich. We'll apparate there, and see if we can't find better directions." Severus braced himself, and started out. "Potter," he said offhandedly, as he was leaving the room, "You remember what I said about that girl." And with that, he exited. Narcissa waved goodbye, stopping to kiss Hermione on the head.

"I'll bring our boy back," she whispered, and followed Severus. Ron stood awkwardly for a moment, before Hermione ran into his arms.

"Be careful!" she exclaimed. "Please, Ron. Just…"

"I know, Hermione," he whispered back, hugging her tight. When he let go, Harry was waiting.

"Well, mate, good luck," he said, shaking Ron's hand tightly. "Come home quick, alright? The estrogen in this house might kill me if you don't." He broke a weak smile, and Ron grasped his hand even harder.

"See you later," he said softly, and followed the others to the door.

XXX

They arrived in Norwich, and pulled the map out for a closer look. Severus enchanted the map to a smaller scale, and they discovered that the closest village to Draco's blinking dot was Hopton-on-sea.

"I've never even heard of that before," Ron murmured, leaning to take a closer look.

"Neither have I," Narcissa said with a shrug. She turned around to see if she could find someone to ask, but the cold weather had driven most indoors. A bus depot was nearby, and she started toward it confidently. Severus and Ron followed. "Excuse me," she called as she entered, and the boy behind the counter cracked his gum. Narcissa looked disgusted. "Excuse me, do you know anything about Hopton-on-sea?"

"I know that the bus for that leaves tonight at seven o'clock," he drawled back, yawning wide to showcase a mouth full of fillings. Narcissa cringed.

"And what time is it now?" she asked, her voice just dripping with disdain. The boy didn't notice.

"Six forty-five. So you might want to buy your passes."

"We'll take three," Severus spoke up, pulling a wallet from beneath his cloak. He paid the boy and began to walk out to meet the bus.

"Hey, what's with the funny clothes?" the boy asked as they were headed out. Severus turned around slowly and stared at him. The boy recoiled a bit, and looked as if he was sorry he'd even come to work that day.

"We're part of an ancient cult that requires we wear these during the daytime, or else we'd absolutely burn up and die," Narcissa answered, sounding deathly serious. "But I happen to think they're quite stylish. Much more so than what we wear at night." And with that, she exited, linking arms with Severus on the way out. Ron scrambled to keep up, and when he got outside, Narcissa was giggling.

"I don't even know what to say to you," Severus said, shaking his head and almost even smiling. Narcissa beamed back, but the bus rolled in before she could reply. They boarded and settled down in the back as the only passengers on the trek out to the coast line. Ron, tired already from his sleepless night, curled up by the window and let the drive rock him to sleep.

He awoke suddenly, feeling the familiar comforting movement cease. Narcissa was sleeping against Severus' shoulder, but the older man was quite awake. "We're here," he whispered to Ron, and began to rouse his companion from her rest. Narcissa stood slowly, stretching her arms a bit before starting off the bus.

"Thank you," she said politely to the driver, and they stepped out into the street. It was probably after ten when they arrived, but the town seemed abandoned, ghostly in the moonlight. It was so small; only a post office, school, and formidable looking church in sight, surrounded by tiny candles in the windows of homes. They looked around, at a loss for where to stay. Surely there must be an inn nearby? But before anyone could begin to discuss plans, they heard a soft voice singing.

"_Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, smiles awake you when you rise. Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby. Rock them, rock them, lullaby._"

"Do you hear that?" Narcissa whispered, clutching Severus' hand. "I used to sing that to Draco when he was little.""_Care is heavy, therefore sleep you, you are care, and care must keep you; sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby, rock them, rock them, lullaby._"

"My mum used to sing me that, too," Ron whispered back, almost entranced by the sweet voice he was hearing. Soon after, they saw a slim figure cross into the street, carrying a bucket, her blonde hair catching the moonlight and reflecting it back to them. Ron glanced over at his companions before rushing to catch up to her. "Excuse me, miss!" he called as he got a little closer. His heavy footfalls were like thunder against the cobblestone street. "Excuse me, could you help me, please? We need to know if there's a place to stay around here, like an inn or something." The girl stared at him, her eyes wide and blue. She looked terribly familiar.

"There's no inn here, sir," she said, so quietly Ron almost didn't hear. He felt terrible for having frightened her. "But…but my da owns a bed and breakfast. We've a couple rooms open, if you like."

"Oh, that would be wonderful!" Ron breathed, smiling in his relief. He motioned for Narcissa and Severus to join him. "You have space for all three of us?"

"If two of you don't mind sharing a bed," the girl said softly, biting her lip. Narcissa smiled and crossed to stand next to her.

"Oh, darling, that's not a problem. Come on now, Ron will carry this for you," she said sweetly, motioning for Ron to take the bucket. He reached out for it, and his hand brushed the girl's; she blushed. "Now, tell us your name," Narcissa asked, beginning to walk so the girl could lead.

"Viviana," she answered, still so quiet. They were headed to a house on the opposite side of the village square, candles burning bright in the windows.

"Oh, that's lovely!" Narcissa cooed. Viviana smiled weakly. "My name is Narcissa, this is Severus, and this is Ron."

"Pleasure to meet you," Viviana said softly. Ron was sure she was absolutely petrified. They reached the house soon enough, and she took them upstairs to their rooms, making sure Ron deposited the bucket on the first floor. "Here's the room for you two," she said, opening a door at the top of the stairs. "And here's yours." Ron's room was right across the hall. "The washroom is that door down there, and breakfast will be served at nine o'clock tomorrow morning." Viviana started away, up a second flight of stairs. Ron watched her go, wishing he knew where he'd met her before. The way her hair fell across her face, got tangled in her eyelashes…it all looked too familiar to him. With a sigh, he closed his door and collapsed on his bed. Yet, try as he might, he couldn't forget those blue eyes long enough to fall asleep.

Around two a.m., Ron conceded to consciousness and wandered downstairs to try and find the kitchen for a cup of water. There was a light on in the back of the house, and he walked towards it, assuming someone else was up for midnight snacks. Standing in the doorway, Ron watched as Viviana, in a pale blue nightgown, kneaded a batch of dough and hummed to herself. There was a countertop set up in the middle of the kitchen, with a bar at one end so you could sit and talk while someone was cooking. It took her a moment to notice Ron, and she stopped singing abruptly and blushed.

"You're awake," she said, her voice a little shaky.

"I just wanted a drink," Ron explained. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"We're not used to having guests here," she replied, calming her nerves a touch as she crossed to a cupboard and pulled out two glasses. "Not many people visit our small little town."

"I think it's lovely, Viviana," Ron said, taking a seat on one of the barstools.

"Oh, please call me Vivi. Almost everyone here does. But um, why did you come, if you don't mind my asking?" Vivi was now hiding in the cooler, searching for a pitcher that she returned with a moment later.

"Well, um, a friend of ours has been traveling, and he's planning to um, come through here soon. We thought we'd meet him as he comes in to town." Ron watched as she filled the glasses with a dark red liquid, and then handed him one.

"Raspberry juice," she explained, taking a sip of hers. "It's my favorite." Ron sampled a bit and grinned.

"This is great!" he exclaimed, taking a gulp. Vivi laughed. "What were you making?" he asked next, gesturing to the ball of dough.

"Cinnamon bread, for breakfast tomorrow." She put her glass down and continued kneading. "I wasn't going to make any, but we have company now."

"Oh, don't put yourself out on our merit," Ron said quickly. "We don't need any special treatment."

"I like doing this," Vivi said softly, falling back into her rhythm of kneading. "Don't worry about it." Ron smiled at her, and she returned the gesture warmly. A silence fell about them, broken only by Vivi's humming. Ron yawned, and before he knew it, was sound asleep on his arms at the counter.

XXX

a/n: Long chapter? Quick updates? I am obviously losing my mind. Reviews are always welcome, I still need a beta.


	11. 11: Offer Up Your Hand

As soon as Ron had left the room, Ginny turned to Harry and Cosette. "I've found something in one of Draco's libraries, I think you two ought to read it." Cosette bit her lip and handed Tristan back to Hermione, who excused herself and went back to the nursery. Harry watched her go a little sadly, but quickly began off to follow Ginny and Cosette. Ginny pulled a book off the desk, and flipped through the pages. "Here," she said. "I think it explains some mysteries." Harry scanned through it.

_"Wands are unique to a wizard's particular flow of magic, what used to be characterized as his lifeblood. Wands can only properly be used by the wizard that's lifeblood is connected to it…"_ Harry trailed off. "Gin, we know this already."

"Yeah, but look here!" she said, pointing to the next page. Harry sighed and continued reading.

_"A wizard or witch may switch wands with another if they are also connected to that person's lifeblood, as through family or lovers." _Harry looked up at Ginny, shrugging. "I still don't get it."

"Harry," Cosette started softly. "When you killed Voldemort, did you use your own wand?"

"Well, yeah! I mean, I must have. It was on the ground next to you, but I must have dropped it when you fell. I couldn't have used anyone else's."

"Harry, let me see your wand," Cosette said softly, locking eyes with Ginny, who smiled and slipped out of the room. Harry pulled his wand out and handed it to her, as she pulled out her own. They both stared as the two wands were held next to each other. They looked identical. "Eleven inches, holly, unicorn hair core," Cosette whispered.

"Eleven inches, holly, phoenix feather core," Harry answered. They looked at each other. "But I don't understand what this means, why it matters!"

"Harry, you used my wand to kill Voldemort! The Prior Incantato spell goes into effect when two wands with the same core go up against each other, but if you were using my wand, then it would have allowed you to kill him!" Cosette bit her lip. "I told you it meant something."

"It means that…" Harry trailed off, stepping closer to Cosette to hold her. "That even that long ago, I loved you. And you loved me."

"A lifeblood is an essential force," Cosette whispered against Harry's neck. "Too bad it took us so long to figure it out."

XXX

Ron woke up the next morning with stiff shoulders and the taste of raspberries in his mouth. He yawned and stretched, noting that the sun was just peeking over the horizon, streaking the sky in beautiful shades of gold and pink. There was the warm smell of cinnamon in the air, and Ron smiled a little with the memory of last night. Vivi was a sweet girl; he was glad to have met her. Figuring he could sneak in about three more hours of sleep before breakfast, Ron started up the stairs to his bedroom. On the narrow staircase, he met Vivi, bundled in a wool coat with a scarf wrapped around her head. She smiled shyly.

"I'm going for a walk, out the market to pick up some milk and eggs for breakfast," she explained to Ron's questioning look.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked, grinning. She shook her head.

"Make sure you're dressed warmly!" she called as Ron raced up the stairs to change. He came back down a couple of minutes later, opting to leave his cloak for a Muggle coat he'd acquired. They left the house and ventured into the frozen morning sunlight.

"How far a walk is it?" Ron asked, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Only about five minutes," she answered. "Nothing can be very far in a town this small."

"How long have you lived here?" Ron posed again, full of a desire to get to know this girl.

"I've lived here my whole life, and I'm fairly certain that my whole family has too. You don't really move away, and no one really moves in." Vivi shrugged a little, smiling. "It's peaceful, but it's not too interesting."

"Sounds like it," Ron murmured, looking around. Every house was made of stones, with white curtains in the windows and ivy growing up the side. The front gardens looked as though they'd be filled with flowers come summer; he supposed it would be beautiful.

"Where are you from?" Vivi asked, staring down at the ground as they walked.

"Ottery St. Catchpole," Ron replied. "Or at least, just outside. I've been staying in Wiltshire, lately, though. My friend lives there."

"The one that's been traveling?" Vivi asked, turning a corner.

"No, his wife," Ron shrugged. "That's how I know him, actually. I've been friends with his wife for eight or so years now. They just had a baby this summer."

"Then why is he traveling?"

"Oh, um…he had to figure some things out with his, uh, family. Extended family. They have an ancestral home around here."

"That sounds interesting," Vivi said softly, coming to a stop in front of the market, and pausing to smile at Ron before she pushed the door open.

"Ah, Vivi, good morning!" The grocers was plump, his cheeks were red; he looked terribly jolly for seven in the morning. "Who's this friend you've brought with you?"

"He's staying at my da's," Vivi explained. "He's waiting to meet a friend in town."

"Oh, good to meet you, my boy!" The grocer exclaimed, his voice filling the small store. "Just make sure Vivi doesn't steal your heart like the last boy who stayed with her!" Vivi blushed and started off toward the milk.

"The last boy?" Ron queried, catching up with Vivi. "What does he mean?" Vivi looked a little embarrassed, but sighed and began to explain anyway.

"Two years ago, when I was sixteen, a fisherman came through Hopton. He was planning a fishing trip out of here, but he ended up staying through a terrible snowstorm we had, and leaving when it subsided." Vivi paused here, and picked up a bottle of milk. "He asked me to marry him before he left, and I wanted out of here so badly, I agreed. I didn't love him. I just…I wanted to get away, start my own life. Really live, you know?" Ron nodded, and Vivi continued. "He never came back to port. I'm not really sure what happened to him, but I never saw him again. My da got real sick not long after, though, so I'm glad I stayed. Otherwise he would have been all alone. I couldn't have forgiven myself if he died while I was away." Vivi shrugged, picking up a dozen brown eggs. "My mum passed while giving birth to me, so she's not even around to help him."

"I'm so sorry," Ron said softly, and he really meant it. "That's awful."

"I never knew her," Vivi answered, starting back up to the front. "It's not so bad, really. My da and I are real close." Ron nodded and waited as Vivi paid the grocer. When they were back out in the streets, Ron reached to take the bags from Vivi. Their hands brushed, and she blushed a little, smiling down at the ground. Ron smiled too, and took her tiny hand in his.

"My fingers are cold," he said, with a sly smile. "Your mittens should help keep them warm." Vivi giggled, and held his hand the whole way back to the house.

XXX

The new year came and began to speed by, hardly stopping as the snow melted and the first buds of spring came into bloom. Ron spent his days with Vivi, getting to know her, listening to her stories about the history of Hopton, and telling her his stories, or at least, those he could tell without having to explain the presence of three-headed dogs, dragons, and magical dark lords. They were inseparable as spring made its debut; she had taken to sitting up with him at night to make sure he wouldn't have any of his 'chronic nightmares.' Everything was going smoothly, but there was still no sign of Draco. Severus and Ron had gone up to the presumed spot that the castle should have been many times, but they couldn't detect it or feel it or anything. It was simply as if Draco was invisible, standing there where they couldn't reach him.

April was closing in, and the first week was unnaturally warm. Ron and Vivi were sitting on the edge of the fountain in the middle of the village square one evening, splashing each other and laughing. Ron took one deep breath, and it hit him; _Draco was here_. His face grew suddenly somber, and he stood up.

"Ron?" Vivi asked, her voice muffled from the static in Ron's ears. He held a hand up to her, to quiet her, and turned around. There, coming into town on the main road, was a blond youth, his movements slow and erratic. Ron breathed in and began to walk towards him. The figure collapsed then, first onto his knees, and then into the ground. Ron started running.

"Vivi, get Narcissa, Severus, anyone, hurry!" he called back, reaching Draco and pulling the limp body into his arms. "Please, please," Ron was murmuring, turning Draco's body over and checking for a pulse. He could barely feel it thrumming against his neck. The man in Ron's lap looked so pale, so thin; more so than he'd ever remembered. Ron lifted the body with some trouble, but began towards Vivi's house as soon as he caught his balance. Severus and Narcissa met him halfway, and Severus helped Ron carry Draco the rest of the way in. They laid him on the couch, covering his body with a blanket Vivi had brought them. Narcissa was weeping softly, holding her son's cold hand. Severus turned to Ron.

"We have to get him upstairs," he whispered in low tones, to make sure no one else could hear. "We have to get him to where we can perform some healing charms on him. His magic is exhausted; he probably passed out from overexertion." Ron nodded, and moved to help Severus take Draco to their rooms. They took him to a cot Vivi had set up in Ron's room. She hovered by Ron for a moment, looking as if she had something to say.

"Is he going to be alright?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. Ron shrugged.

"We don't know yet," he answered truthfully. "Severus knows a lot about, uh, medical treatment, so he still has to come in and take a look."

"I think…I have an idea," Vivi said softly, and took Ron's hand in her own. "It may sound silly, but there's this well we have, and the water from it always helps when someone is sick. It helped my da get better, maybe it will help your friend?" Ron sighed.

"I don't know, Vivi…"

"Please, let me just try it," she begged, her voice still so quiet. Ron couldn't bear it; she wanted to help so badly.

"Alright, take me there," he conceded, and Vivi smiled and rushed off. Ron raced behind her, out the door and through the streets, but she got there long before he did. When he found her, she was pulling a bucket of water up. She turned around and smiled.

"Here," she said softly, and her voice dripped of melody. "This will help him heal." Ron gasped. He _had_ seen her before; she was the girl in his dreams! He forgot for a moment about the water, about Draco, about how everything had been going wrong his whole life, and he picked Vivi up and kissed her soundly.

"I think I love you," he told her, his voice strong and sure. "I really think I do, and if there wasn't someone lying, sick, on a bed right now that needed our help, I would tell you over and over and over." Vivi looked a little shocked, her blue eyes wide and her lips just barely parted. Ron bent down to pick up the bucket of water, and kissed her cheek. He waited a second for her to respond, but then began back towards the house; they could talk later.

"Ron, wait!" he heard her call, and he stopped again, turning around to watch as she ran to catch up to him. She flew into his arms and kissed him again. "I think I love you too," she said, breathlessly, and helped him carry the bucket of water back to Draco.

The blond was still lying unconscious, his breath coming in the tiniest whispers. Narcissa was next to him, and Severus was standing behind her.

"I've stabilized his condition," he told Ron as the couple came rushing inside. "But we don't know what kind of condition he's stably in."

"Here," Vivi said, setting the bucket down and grabbing a cup from the bedside table. She dipped it into the water and crossed to Draco's bed. "This may help him." Vivi kneeled down next to Draco and opened his mouth just a tiny little bit. She poured the water in, and tipped his head up to help him swallow. The water glistened and sparkled unnaturally in the glass, and Ron noticed the moon was reflected in the bucket. Everyone waited with bated breath as Vivi continued to help Draco drink the water, until the cup was empty. His body lay still on the bed for a moment longer, his breath so shallow that no one was sure if they were just imagining his chest rising and falling in perfect time. Narcissa had stopped crying, Severus was holding the back of her chair so tightly his knuckles were turning white. Ron sighed softly after a minute of unbearable hope had passed.

"Thanks for trying, Vivi," he said softly, crossing to put an arm around her shoulder. "I just don't think it's going to work with him."

"Wait," she breathed. "Wait just a minute more, please, I promise…"

"Vivi," Ron said, feeling so disappointed for her. "I really…" But just then, Draco coughed. His breath came in deeper, uneven breaths, and his eyelashes fluttered against his cheek as he coughed again. Vivi ran to the bucket and filled another cup, helping him drink it again. She pulled him up so he was sitting, leaning against the wall behind him. Ron was biting his lip, and Narcissa had begun to cry again. The whole room watched carefully as Vivi filled the cup a third time, and they watched as the cup was emptied between Draco's pale pink lips. When she was done with that cup, Draco took one last deep breath and opened his eyes.

"Mum," he breathed, holding his hand out for her. "Oh, Mum, I'm so sorry."

XXX

a/n: Oh cliff hangers! But these rapid fire chapters are really unnatural, I'm sorry about that. Maybe number twelve will come out soon too! Reviews, need a beta, you get it by now.


	12. 12: Bittersweet Beckoning

"Sorry?" Narcissa echoed, her voice faint and rasping from crying. "Draco, darling, what are you sorry for?"

"Lucius. I…I…" Draco trailed off, his eyes fluttering closed. He took a few more deep breaths. "I'm so tired, so so tired," he whispered to no one in particular. Narcissa grasped his hand more tightly.

"Darling, tell us about Lucius, please," she pleaded, her voice so strained with hope and worry.

"I…I killed him, Mum. But I had to, I had to! He threatened Hermione and Tristan…" Draco looked around, his eyes still glassy but much more alert. "Where are they? Where am I?"

"You're in Hopton-on-sea," Narcissa explained, her eyes tearing up. "They're back at the Manor, they're safe, I promise you. Draco, darling, oh my poor little boy…" She fell into weeping again, the stress of the past months catching up to her in one fell swoop.

"Don't be angry with me, Mum, please," Draco said, so softly. "I couldn't bear it if you were."

"I'm not angry," Narcissa choked out through her tears. "I was worried that you'd gone to meet him at the castle, that you two were planning something awful. Oh, Draco, I'm just so glad you're safe!" Severus placed a hand on her shoulder, and Narcissa covered it with her own.

"Weasley, please, tell me where Harry is," Draco asked. Ron could tell he was close to blackout again. "I have to explain it to him, I have to explain everything to him and Cosette."

XXX

Hermione was sitting on the back deck, Tristan in a crib beside her. The good weather had driven them all outdoors; Cosette and Harry were on a walk around the grounds, and Ginny had left that morning for London to look for an apartment. Hermione was currently engaged in re-reading _Hogwarts: A History_ for the twenty-seventh time, but she couldn't keep her mind on it. The sunshine was lulling her to sleep, and she sat back and closed her eyes to enjoy the sunshine. April was one of her favorite months, when everything would once again to come to life in yellows and pinks and greens, when they sky was so blue and clear you could see for miles. Her hair was pulled back, and the wind on her neck felt like a soft caress, the sun on her cheek like a tender kiss. She sighed, wishing for the thousandth time that Draco was home.

"Oh, Draco," she sighed, wishing that the soft fingers laced with hers were true.

"Yes, love?" a familiar voice spoke softly. Hermione sat up straight, blinking against the light as she opened her eyes.

"Draco?" she asked quietly, not daring to believe the face looking down at her.

"I'm home," he whispered back, pulling her up and against him. "I've come home for you."

"Tell me you're real," Hermione begged, holding him as close as she dared. He was thin, so much thinner than she remembered, but he was warm and close and oh, how she hoped she wasn't dreaming!

"I'm real," Draco laughed softly. "I'm real and I'm never going to leave you again for fear that I won't be real to you the next time." He tipped her chin up and kissed her, kissed her with a promise of safety and love and eternity. It seemed like hours, days, seconds, really, but Hermione could have gone on kissing him forever and ever. "But we have to find Harry, now," he said, breaking away. "I owe him an explanation."

Half an hour later, and they were all congregating in the library, Draco sitting close to Hermione, one hand in hers and the other holding a strengthening potion. Severus had been feeding him different concoctions since he'd arrived from Vivi's home two days before, worried that without his help, Draco would fall back into his precarious state. Ginny had come home just before they all sat down, and was currently bringing in tea for everyone gathered. Harry and Cosette wandered in not long after.

"Draco?" Cosette asked breathlessly as soon as she saw him. "Draco, oh, you're alright!" She ran to him, hugging him tightly as he balanced his drink around her.

"Yeah, I'm home," he said, smiling against her cheek. "But I have to explain some things. Could you all sit down?" Everyone obliged, Harry giving him some wary looks. "First off, I'd like to apologize to everyone, but mostly Harry and Cosette. I realize that I might not have been the picture of hospitality during our stay in that castle, but I do have my reasons." Harry snorted, and Draco shot him a look reminiscent of their Hogwarts days. "My reasons being this: once we arrived and I ensured our safety, I did some careful research and planning. Through this I was able to collect every remaining Death Eater and former follower of Voldemort, from Britain and beyond, and I used them to rally any subsequent groups associated with the dark arts and their use for the usurp of power. The charm you saw," Draco continued, nodding to both Harry and Cosette, "was an ancient binding charm, as I'm sure Severus would have figured out. I bound every last member of these groups and the remains of Voldemort's following within the castle. This way, any potential uprising will have a weak base of power to grow from, and we can ensure our lives will be nearly free from any sort of war like the one we all recently faced. I asked that you trust me, and I know that, at times, it must have been hard, sometimes impossible. And I apologize. But I did it in the interest of every one of you, my child, and your futures. So please, if you could forgive me the hardship of the past seven months, I would be eternally grateful." Draco stopped then, letting his speech sink in. Everyone remained silent for a moment; Hermione was the first to break.

"I'd forgiven you the moment you came back," she said quietly. "And I like to think that they all did too. Of course, it may be harder for Harry and Cosette…"

"Draco, you know I'd forgive you to the end of the Earth and back," Cosette chimed in, her lips breaking into a small, sweet smile. "And knowing that you did all of this for us…thank you. That's all I can say." Narcissa and Severus nodded, the former smiling broadly at her son. Draco smiled back, and looked to Ron and Ginny.

"I assumed there was something behind all of this," Ginny said with a shrug. "I'm just glad you're safe."

"Yeah, me too," Ron continued, and Draco imparted him a skeptical glace. "It's been a weird few months, but I had a feeling it would all turn out alright. Besides, if you had turned out evil, I'd never stop saying 'I told you so' to Hermione, and she'd go crazy with it." Ron smiled, too, and Draco cocked an eyebrow at him, smiling back. Amazing how much one could miss a simple gesture. They all turned to Harry, then, the last to speak. He sighed, running a hand through his eternally messy hair.

"I think you're a prat for not telling me about all this when I was handcuffed in solitary confinement," he started, his voice harsh, but weariness permeating through. "I also think that it was rough to keep the people you loved worrying about you for so long. But," and here, Harry paused, shrugging his shoulders. "But I think that it was very brave of you to go through all of this, and if they can forgive you, I have no right to hold it against you either." Cosette kissed him, smiling brightly as she turned to face the others.

"Thank you, all of you," Draco said softly, squeezing Hermione's hand. "But there's a couple other things I want to say." Ron rolled his eyes, his gesture exaggerated so he knew Draco saw it. He laughed. "Harry, I see you finally made amends with Cosette?"

"We're engaged, actually," Cosette said, cutting Harry off and holding up her hand so he could see her ring. "October wedding, we think. I was hoping you'd be home by then, at least." Draco nodded.

"Good call there, Potter. Snagged yourself a good one; I must admit, I'm a little surprised. And you knocked her up too!" Everyone gasped, Harry blushing deeply and Cosette gaping at him.

"What…I mean…how…" she stuttered. Draco looked confused.

"You didn't tell anyone?" he asked incredulously. Cosette shook her head. "Oh, dear, I've spoiled the announcement. None of you noticed? She must be at least five months along, maybe six!" Hermione laughed.

"I didn't notice at all!" she exclaimed, smiling towards Cosette. "I just assumed loose clothing was how you liked to dress."

"Well, secret's out," Harry said, shrugging and pulling Cosette a little closer to him. "Snape was the only one who noticed, I guess. She's due late July." Severus smirked a little, and Narcissa hit his arm lightly.

"You didn't even tell me!" she said, scandalized. Severus didn't choose to respond, only continued smirking.

"I found an apartment," Ginny interjected. "In Diagon Alley. I'm considering opening up my own robe shop."

"Severus and I are getting married," Narcissa burst in, too excited to keep in her secret any longer. "Now that I'm a widow and I know it." And everyone would have stopped uncomfortably, but she said it with such levity that no one seemed bothered by the passing of someone so detrimental to this sudden happiness.

"And I'm pretty sure I'm moving back to Hopton," Ron spoke up, next in line for celebratory news. "Vivi wants to stay there with her dad, but I'm sure we'll be over to visit quite a bit."

"Have you thought how you're going to explain that you're a wizard, yet?" Ginny asked, biting her lip. "I mean, that's going to be a lot to handle. Most muggles don't take it very well." Ron furrowed his brow a bit, and sighed.

"No, actually, I hadn't thought of that at all," he said, his voice a little more somber than the occasion may have called for. "I just assumed it wouldn't be a problem."

"Sooner than later, Weasley," Draco said, downing the rest of his potion. "No one likes to be lied to."

"Oh, that's rich, coming from you, Malfoy," Harry said sarcastically. "Hail to the king of the Slytherins, hypocrite extraordinaire!" Draco arched his eyebrow and looked disdainfully at Harry.

"And I suppose that by marrying a pureblood from a notorious Death Eater family has Gryffindor champion written all over it?" he shot back. "Oh, the complexes that child will develop!"

XXX

Ron spent the next few hours charming his suitcases clean, refolding his clothes, and packing to go back to Hopton-on-sea. Vivi was expecting him within the week, but he felt as though Draco had been right, ironic as his words may have been. If he had any intention on beginning a relationship with Viviana, he most certainly had to come clean, and not just about being a wizard. There was a whole sordid history he'd left out during their talks that was bound to come out eventually, and Ron decided that it was to come out on his terms, before anything permanent happened. It wasn't going to be easy, and he sure as hell didn't know if she'd want to stick by him through all of his faults and shortcomings, but he had hope, and that, he had learned, was really all you needed.

The trip back to Hopton was considerably shorter, seeing as he could apparate right outside of town instead of taking the bus from Norwich. He was coming down the main path, noting that the flowers he'd seen so long ago in December were beginning to bud and blossom. He strolled through the streets of the town he'd come to love, and ended up outside of Vivi's house. He knocked a few times, and waited for her answer.

"Ron!" she exclaimed as she opened the door, leaning up to kiss him softly. "I didn't expect you back so soon!"

"Well, I wanted to talk to you," he said, coming inside as Vivi held open the door. "Is there somewhere private we can speak?" She nodded, looking a little concerned, and led him upstairs to her room. He hadn't been there before; it was small, painted white, with scarcely anything but a large bed with blue covers. Vivi closed the door behind them and sat on her bed, motioning for Ron to join her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, reaching out her hand to hold his.

"I want to start by saying that it's nothing to do with you. I really do like you, Vivi, and I want to give us a go. But I came here to come absolutely clean with you about my past. So I'm going to say it all, and give you a chance to say anything after." Ron took a deep breath. "Alright. So I'm a wizard, which means I can do magic. We're a very secret culture, but there's a lot of us around the world. Narcissa and Severus are too, and so is our friend Draco, the one who came here sick. He's fine, by the way, home with his wife and baby. But his wife and I dated for a long time, and we've been friends for so long…I still see her all the time, and I don't want you to think that there's anything left there because there isn't, I know, we tried and failed, it's over. And I just broke up with this girl Camille in September, she wasn't anyone important, but we didn't resolve our problems at all. And there was a war that we all fought in, and there's so much baggage left over from that…we're all still a little messed up from it…I have a lot of family, and we're all real close, but we don't have a lot of money, so there's nothing I can offer you, really, except myself, and I'm afraid that's not even that great…" Ron trailed off, taking another deep breath. Vivi was smiling. "What?" Ron asked, feeling a little unnerved. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Ron," she said softly, squeezing his hand. "You came in looking so serious, and here I was, expecting you to tell me something awful."

"Didn't I?" Ron asked, feeling slightly thrown off guard. Vivi shook her head, laughing a bit.

"No, you didn't," she answered. "So everyone has a history, now I know yours. I told you mine the first week we met. Everything else is sort of old news."

"Old news?!" Ron exclaimed, furrowing his brow. "I'm a wizard! That's old news?!"

"We have a wizard in our family," Vivi continued. "My grandmother's second husband was some man named Alphard Black. He used to tell us lots of stories about magic and all that. He had a horrible family, too; he told us how he was disowned for helping his nephew run away!" Ron gaped.

"His nephew…do you, I mean, by any chance…did he ever tell you his nephew's name?"

"Oh, Sirius, I think," Vivi said with a shrug. "Some constellation or star." Ron rubbed his temples, laughing a little bit.

"Sirius Black?" Ron posed, his stomach tying itself in knots.

"Oh, yes, that was his name! I remember now…we got a letter last year some time that told us he'd passed away."

"Yeah, he was killed in the war we all fought last year," Ron explained, a shiver of sorrow rushing through him. "He was really great, I'm sure he would have loved you."

"I was supposed to meet him, actually, but then he stopped corresponding and no one would talk about him. I guess he had an orphan godson who was like a child to him…Alphard wanted us to meet, he's supposed to be about a year older than me, but then Alphard died and, well, that whole thing ended with him."

"Sirus Black's orphan godson," Ron began, very quietly, "is my best mate, Harry."

"Oh, really?" Vivi asked, not seeming quite as excited as Ron was feeling. "Small world. We're all connected in the end, I suppose."

"Even weirder," Ron continued, "Narcissa is Sirius' cousin, and Sirius was my dad's second cousin. Alphard wasn't your blood relative, right?"

"Oh, no," Vivi assured him, laughing. "He wasn't. But wouldn't that have been something!" And they both fell into laughter and into each others arms, hoping that this would begin something really exquisite for them both.

XXX

It was late in the evening, and the heat of the day was wearing thin in the cool breeze. Harry had owled Dumbledore of Draco's safe return, along with a lengthy apology for his absence during his first year teaching; he and Cosette then excused themselves for their rooms. Hermione and Draco were next, and they took Tristan to his nursery to put him to bed.

"He's grown so much," Draco said, reaching into his son's crib. Tristan's hand reached out and grasped Draco's finger. "I can't believe I missed so much of it."

"He remembers you," Hermione said, peeking over to watch her son coo and smile like he'd never done for her. "I don't think either of us ever forgot you."

"Not even when Malory was taking my place in our bed?" Draco asked quietly, as he closed the door behind them. Hermione was dumbstruck.

"Malory? Who on earth is Malory?" she asked, her voice shaking. She didn't expect him to know that she'd been unfaithful, even against her own will, but Gavin was one thing…who was Malory?

"Don't play stupid, Hermione," Draco ground out, trying to keep his composure. He'd been gone for seven months and he was home now, his first night back with his family. He didn't want to ruin it, but he couldn't let this crawl under his skin any longer. "Malory. He came to the castle with a heart shaped bruise and a story about how he fucked my wife and her best friend. I can't imagine he was talking about anyone else." Hermione stopped in the hallway, her face burning red and her head beginning to spin.

"He told us his name was Gavin," she said softly.

"Gavin, Malory, does it matter what his name was?" Draco called back, still on his way to their rooms. "He used you. You fell for it. I can't believe someone as bright as you would find it in herself to go along with that, to let yourself be taken advantage of and to take advantage of someone you're supposed to love."

"Draco, I do love you!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing to catch up to him. "Please believe me…Ginny even found out that he was slipping me Imperius potion. You have to trust me, Draco, please. I'd never do anything like that intentionally." They'd reached their room then, and Draco stopped outside the door without opening it.

"I didn't want to talk about this now. Not tonight." He paused, sighing and rubbing his temples as if he had a headache festering there. "But I don't think I can bring myself to sleep beside someone who kept a secret like this between those sheets." He kissed her cheek then, chaste and light, and started down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, her voice choking in her throat.

"There are over seven hundred rooms in this manor," he said, stopping briefly to finish speaking. "I think I can find somewhere to stay the night."

XXX

a/n: I honestly don't understand my sudden urge to write so much! But there it is, twelfth chapter, and I still need a beta. Please help me out hereeee!


	13. 13: Wait A Little While

It was nearly two o'clock in the morning, and the moon was shining brightly through the window to fall across Harry's face as he slept. Cosette was curled up in his arms, her breaths softly stirring the hair at the base of Harry's neck. It was a peaceful scene, but Draco managed to find it in him to wake Harry.

"Come on, Potter, I need to talk to you," Draco said, shaking the other man's shoulder. Harry murmured something unintelligible and opened one eye.

"This better be important," he whispered, opening his other eye and turning on his back. "Really, really important."

"I want to talk to you," Draco informed him. "Now get up, we're going for a walk." Harry sighed, defeated, and got up. Cosette shifted slightly, but stayed in slumber. Harry sighed, looking at her a moment, and then followed Draco out the door.

"Talk about what? Why you aren't sleeping even though it's obvious you're weak and unhealthy? And that's not even factoring in that your wife is waiting for you in bed." Harry yawned, and looked over to Draco. "Is that what we're talking about?"

"Not really," Draco answered with a shrug. "More so about how I can't bring myself to sleep with my wife because she was unfaithful to me during my absence." Harry took this in slowly, not having heard this before.

"Unfaithful as in she sold you out or unfaithful as in she cheated?" he asked slowly. Draco laughed softly.

"As in she slept with a boy I grew up with, went to Voldemort's meetings with, and who orchestrated a lot of the bullshit in my life. You remember him, the man who was kissing Cosette when we arrived at the castle in Wales?"

"Oh," Harry said, a sudden flash of anger spiking through his veins. "Him."

"Yeah," Draco continued. "He has a certain affinity for the pastime of ruining relationships, I suppose. Dated your friend Rhiannon, too, but she was forever running around on him. Suppose it's her he learned it from."

"Rhiannon's not my friend," Harry interjected harshly. Draco shot him a look.

"I suppose that's good, then, because she's locked up with the rest of them back near Hopton. Although I suppose I should move the castle again, it being so close to Weasley and his girl. Did you know there was a base of magic there? That's why I could place it there. And this underground spring flows from that spot to fill up a well in the village. That's how they revived me; my magic was exhausted and the water from that well was filled with excess, and it helped me to recover more quickly." Draco shrugged again. "But I'm getting off topic. It's late, Harry. Tell me what I'm supposed to do to find it in myself to forgive the woman I love for forgetting she loved me back."

"Tough question," Harry breathed, running a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure I have the answer."

"But you should know all about blaming yourself and getting over it. By now, I'm expecting you to be the resident expert on the subject."

"Well, I do know quite a bit," Harry said, trying to keep the serious nature of their words hidden beneath this shield of sarcasm and comedy. "But I can't say this situation is much like any of mine. I've never been married before, you see."

"Ah, but you will be soon," Draco answered. "And then you will fully understand the meaning of life."

"I thought that was when you had a baby?" Harry asked.

"Eh, we all seem to fit marriage and children in the two-for-one deal." Draco smirked a little, but his face soon fell. "I'm serious, Harry. I need some guidance here."

"Talk to her about it?" Harry suggested.

"Tried. Failed. She told me he was slipping her Imperious potion, but I know Malory, and he doesn't have the capability to brew something that complex. The only place it's kept is in the Ministry, but he…" Draco trailed off here, slowing his steps until he was standing still in the dark hallway. "Oh, no."

"Oh, no?" Harry echoed, his tone effecting his question. "Oh no what?"

"Malory was a Ministry employee. With the right amount of manipulation and spying, he could have found the potions reservoir and taken enough to seduce Hermione, but not too much that it would be missed." Draco rubbed his forehead, turning around. "I've got to talk to her." He rushed off, leaving Harry alone.

"Uh, Draco?" he called, trying his best to keep up. "Draco, how do I get back? I don't know where I am!" But his yelling was in vain; Draco was far down the hallways in front of Harry.

XXX

"So it's like folding clothes," Ron said slowly, nodding.

"Yes," Vivi said, smiling. "Like folding clothes." They were elbow deep in flour and she was trying to teach Ron how to knead bread dough.

"Vivi?" Ron said softly. "How do you fold clothes?" She laughed.

"You're hopeless!" she exclaimed. "Domesticity isn't something they teach where you're from, I guess."

"You don't have an overbearing household leader, I guess," Ron retorted. "My mum refuses to let anyone do any kind of chores for fear we'll mess it up even more. Plus she has her magic to help her…raising six boys requires a thorough knowledge of how to clean things quickly." Vivi laughed.

"Here," she said softly, putting her hands over his to guide them. "This is how." She manipulated his fingers and palms in a smooth motion, kneading the dough just right. "See?"

"First step dough, second step sweaters. Oh, my mother is going to love you," Ron said with a smile. They continued to work for a few minutes more, but then there was a knock on the door. Vivi furrowed her brow, dusted off her hands on her apron, and went to answer it.

"Hello," Ron heard a sweet feminine voice say in the front hallway. "My husband and I are looking for a place to stay. We're on our honeymoon, you see, and I was recommended to stay at this charming little bed and breakfast…" Ron walked out to stand by Vivi, eyeing the blonde and her husband, staring at the ground with his arms crossed defensively. The woman looked at Ron and beamed. "Do you own this place?"

"My father does," Vivi interjected, her face still pulled in concern. "How long do you plan to stay?"

"A week, perhaps two," the woman answered, waving her hand dismissively. "I assume you have a room?"

"I believe so," Vivi responded hesitantly. "But I should check with my father and make sure. You'll wait down here?" The woman nodded, beginning to look around the foyer. Vivi made a small motion for Ron to follow as she started up the stairs. When they reached the second floor, she turned around to face him. "I don't trust her," she whispered. "There's something about her that gives me an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach."

"She looks terribly familiar," Ron whispered back. "I can't place where I know her from. I don't think she went to school with me, but I feel like I've met her before."

"You think she might be a witch?" Vivi asked, biting her lip. Ron shrugged.

"Maybe. I don't know many muggles."

"Muggles?" Vivi asked, but then shook her head. "Nevermind, you can tell me later. I'm going to talk to my father, will you go back down and watch them?"

"Sure," Ron agreed and kissed her cheek. Vivi smiled and rushed up the next flight of stairs. Ron watched her go before beginning back down. Halfway there, he heard whispering.

"Are you sure about this?" the man was saying, his voice low and quiet. "I mean, the repercussions of a spell like that…"

"Shh!" the woman hissed. Ron continued down the stairs, trying to act nonchalant, but when he got to the bottom, he could tell they were all wearing forced smiles.

"Viviana will be back down very soon," he announced, too loudly. "Can I offer you a drink? Maybe you'd like to sit down in the parlor."

"Thank you, but we're fine," the man said shortly. Ron raised his eyebrows and shrugged, leaning against the banister. There was an awkward silence stretching between them, but Vivi soon returned.

"You're room is all set on the second floor. It'll be the first door on your right." She smiled and moved out of their path. "Let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, darling," the woman said, and Ron thought he could detect sarcasm in her voice. "I'm sure we're all set for now." And with that, the couple disappeared up the stairs. Vivi shivered.

"They give me the creeps," she whispered and started toward the kitchen again. "But if we don't finish the bread soon, it'll be ruined. And no one will want to eat that."

"You'd be surprised," Ron said with a small smile, and followed her back.

XXX

Sighing, Harry lit his wand and started back toward his room, trying to remember how he'd gotten into this mess. Down this corridor, left at the window, right at the painting of some ancient battle scene Harry might have recognized if he hadn't used History of Magic as a nap time. When he reached a corner he wasn't totally certain he should be turning down, he heard a rumble, ending with a crash, and then total silence. Feeling compelled to find the source of the noise, Harry rushed down the hallway he was debating and down a flight of stairs he didn't remember coming up. At the bottom, Draco's limp form was lying in the midst of a smashed vase, his nose and lip both bleeding. Harry gasped and hurried to pick Draco up; he was so light, so very thin that Harry could feel his ribs and his hipbones. Somehow, he managed to maneuver the manor's twists and turns and he eventually found himself at his and Cosette's room. Throwing open the door, Harry started shouting.

"Cosette, wake up!" he exclaimed, taking Draco to the bed and laying him down.

"Mmm, what's wrong, Harry?" she asked, stretching and sitting up. As she saw Draco, her eyes widened and the sleep cleared from her features. "Oh, gods, what happened?"

"He fell down the stairs, I think, I'm not sure," Harry panted, out of breath from his flight through the manor. "I heard a noise and found him unconscious. I have to go find Hermione."

"I'll go," Cosette said, standing up and pulling on her dressing robe. "I know the way better. Severus should know too, I'll ask him to come up as well." She took a deep breath and kissed Harry soundly on the lips. "Take care of him," she breathed, and ran out. Harry sighed, biting his lip, and sat on the edge of the bed. He was focusing on the up and down movement of Draco's chest, shallow but still steady. After a silent minute, Draco's eyelids fluttered, his skin so pale Harry could see the blue veins crisscrossing underneath.

"Ouch," Draco moaned, his eyes opening finally. "What the hell happened to me? I feel like I was repeatedly run over by the Knight Bus."

"You fell down the stairs," Harry answered. "I think you passed out."

"Oh, fuck," Draco breathed, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips. "And you didn't even have the decency to fix my nose? I can hardly breathe."

"Oh, sorry," Harry murmured, fumbling for his wand. He cast a quick healing charm and wiped the blood from Draco's face with his handkerchief. "There you go."

"Thanks," Draco responded, his eyes falling shut again. He sighed. "I'm so tired." Harry, not knowing what to say, didn't respond, and they waited in silence again for the others to show up.

"Draco," Hermione cried as she came into the room. "Oh, Draco, I'm so sorry, oh, gods, please tell me you're alright…" She fell to the floor next to the bed and grasped her husband's hand.

"I'm alright," he whispered to her, opening his eyes to look at her. He smiled. "I love you."

"Oh, I love you too," Hermione whispered back, kissing his fingers as Severus came over and thrust a vial in front of Draco.

"Drink it," he commanded, "And then we'll talk." Draco sat up with some difficulty, pausing to take a deep breath before downing the potion. He shivered a little as the liquid made its way down his throat, but looked slightly better than he had before.

"That is still just as repulsive as it was when I first took it," he announced. "What's in it, again?"

"That doesn't matter, Draco," Severus said sternly. "What does matter is that it seems you no longer possess the strength necessary to survive without extraneous magical aid. In layman's terms," he continued, rubbing his temples as if he could feel a headache starting there, "That means that this binding spell is drawing all of its magic from you personally. No wizard could handle that kind of drain; you're going to waste away until you lose all of your magic, and you know what that does to a wizard." Severus stopped here, letting that sink in for a moment. "Not to mention your lapses in consciousness may or may not be providing a breach in the binding spell that could allow the captives to escape."

"So what do we do?" Draco asked slowly, trying to process this. "Can't I just continue taking the potions?"

"The potions only help slow down the process," Severus said, his tone numb. "Draco, you're dying."

XXX

A/N: Another one! I can't believe it either. Reviews are welcome, I have no idea where I'm headed with this, but a little improvisation never hurt anyone, I suppose.


	14. 14: Never Thought I Would

"Dying," Draco echoed, his normally bright grey eyes dull and vacant. "Is there any guarantee that when I die the magic in the spell will hold?"

"I'm afraid not," Severus answered, his tone almost soft. "I'm going to have to do a lot of research into this situation. But for now, we're going to need you to rest and continue taking the potions I'm providing you."

"Alright then," Draco said with finality, standing up from the bed. He wavered a moment on his feet, but his jaw was set as he started toward the door. "I'll be in my room. I trust you'll meet me there, Hermione?" She nodded, biting her lip to keep from crying. Draco placed his hand on her shoulder briefly before he left the room alone. A silence flowed through all of them, watching as the door fell shut behind him.

"We have to do something," Harry said suddenly, his voice too loud. "We can't just let him die!"

"There may be nothing we can do," Severus started. "If…"

"No!" Harry shouted. "There must be something, anything!"

"Potter, if the spell has connected itself to him in the way I presume it might have, there is no way to separate him from the spell. Even if we did, that might kill him instead. Draco's played with some dark magic in his time, but ancient magic like this is much more dangerous; it doesn't follow the rules." Severus took a deep breath, and continued. "The only thing left to do is research and find a loophole. Which is what I'll be doing if anyone needs me." He nodded to Hermione and Cosette and left the room.

"I have to go to Draco," Hermione whispered. She pursed her lips and Harry could see the tears still sitting in her eyes. "Thank you for finding him, Harry."

"Of course," Harry answered, his throat closing over his voice. Hermione smiled a little and left too. Harry waited till she had gone before sighing and collapsing on the bed. "Come here," he whispered to Cosette, holding his arms out. She crossed to him and curled up against his chest.

"I'm so scared," she breathed against his neck. "I can't lose him, I just can't. He's all I have left, the only family I've had since Edan died."

"You'll have me," Harry said, stroking her hair. "You'll have me and our baby. I promise you, I'll never leave you. Ever."

"I hope you mean that," Cosette said, and fell into sobs in his arms.

XXX

"Draco?" Hermione called softly, the lights off as she came into their bedroom.

"Over here," she heard him answer. As her eyes adjusted, she saw him standing by the window, looking out across the grounds. She crossed to him, standing close to his side. "I love the spring time here," he said softly, his eyes still grazing the view. "It's the only time the manor ever looks so lovely. The gardens will be in full bloom in a week or so." He trailed off, silence once again filling the space around them. He sighed and turned to her, taking her in his arms. "I need you to promise me something."

"Anything," Hermione whispered back, letting her head rest against his collarbones.

"When I die…"

"Don't say it like that," Hermione begged, a tear staining a circle in Draco's shirt. "We're going to make it through this."

"No, I don't think we will," Draco said softly. "Just listen. When I die, I want you to promise me that you'll move on and find someone better than me that can love you like you deserve; like I thought I could."

"No," Hermione breathed, backing up to look Draco in the eye. "I can't, I won't."

"You have to," Draco said, shaking his head, looking back towards the window. "You don't deserve to be left alone so young."

"Our son will not grow up knowing someone else as his father," Hermione retorted firmly. "I will not let any other man taint the memories I have with you. No one else will be able to fill that part of me."

"You say that now, but I hope in coming years, you'll learn to overcome any grief you may feel and find someone better than me." Draco stopped, pressing his fingers to Hermione's lips to quell any more words. "But no more talk of this tonight. I want to spend one last night loving you." Hermione was crying by then, and Draco kissed the tears out of her, making sure to take her breath away enough that she didn't have it in her anymore to continue. They moved with a leisurely pace, moving over each other's body with a sensual familiarity, lingering over sweet spots, moving with complete confidence and softness. There was none of their past haste, no tearing or pulling, but rather a move to make the night last longer than either could have hoped for. The sun was breaking when they finally fell asleep in each other's embrace, their skin damp with sweat and their lips swelled and bruised. Sunrise came and poured through the window in rosy hues, across the floor, the bed, their bodies. Sleep was welcomed; Hermione slept better than she had in months, with the knowledge that her lover was with her again. It was late morning when she woke up with a sick feeling growing in the pit of her stomach.

Draco was gone.

XXX

"You think he'll be alright?" Vivi asked for the hundredth time that day, watching as the clouds darkened and spread, the smell of rain permeating the rooms at the inn. Her father and his brother had left early that morning on a fishing trip, scheduled to last three weeks, but they had packed for more than a month.

"They'll be fine," Ron assured her again. "This is coming in from the shore line, it's already passed over their destination."

"If you think so…" she answered, moving from the window to sit next to Ron on the couch. "You checked the windows upstairs?"

"Three times," Ron said, smiling. "Relax. We'll all be okay."

"Should I shut these windows too?" Vivi asked, glazing over Ron's statements. The living room windows were pulled all the way up, the floor length white curtains billowing out into the room.

"Shhh, no," he whispered. "Let's just sit here and listen to the storm." The thunder began rumbling through the countryside and shook the windows a bit in their frames. Vivi sighed and fell back against Ron.

"You're right. I'm sure it's fine, I need to stop worrying so much."

"Tell me about it," Ron murmured into her hair. She laughed softly, and they shut their eyes, waiting for the storm to come crashing down on the little village.

"Did that couple come back in earlier? They left pretty early this morning."

"Viviana, calm down!" Ron laughed, pulling her closer. "They came in around seven, just as you were fixing dinner. Remember? You asked them to join us but they'd already eaten or whatever."

"Oh, yes, I remember," Vivi said, closing her eyes again. She began to hum softly, the vibrations resounding in Ron's chest. "I used to play in the rain when I was younger. The cobblestones made the best puddles for splashing."

"Really?" Ron murmured, smiling. "That's adorable."

"We should find some galoshes and go play," Vivi suggested, half asleep in Ron's arms. "It's so liberating."

"Maybe we will," he answered, watching as she yawned and settled in further. He couldn't seem to wipe the stupid grin from his face as he fell asleep on the couch with this slight of a girl. Who would have guessed he'd have Draco to thank for finding him someone so perfect?

The storm raged on around them, drenching the windowsills and spattering in to soak the curtains that were still dancing in the breeze. It went on all night, a background lullaby soothing Ron and Vivi in their sleep. The thunder kept rolling, the rain kept drumming, but it wasn't until the stairs creaked that Ron woke up, his head spinning. He carefully slipped out from under Vivi, leaving her asleep on the couch. Pulling his wand out, he crept toward the stairs. A dark figure loomed there, still not seeing Ron. Taking his chance, he cast a quiet body binding charm, and rushed around to see that it was the man that was staying with them, a wand poised in his own hand.

"Shit," Ron swore softly, rubbing his forehead as the man stood frozen on the stairs. He pondered a moment longer on what to do with this living statue, before another set of footsteps began down the stairs. Ron panicked and ran back down, hiding around the corner.

"Really," the woman sighed, coming upon her frozen companion. "I thought you were better than this. I warned you, didn't I?" Ron couldn't see the action, but when he heard the male voice, he assumed she had lifted his charm.

"How the hell was I supposed to know this fucker would be awake at four thirty in the morning? Most people sleep around this time, you know." Ron heard the woman sigh again, exasperation seeping through. Biting his lip, Ron waited as the couple continued down the stairs.

"Ron?" he heard Vivi call. "Ron, what are you doing?"

"Vivi, no!" Ron called, coming out from his hiding place just in time for the woman to stun his girlfriend. He didn't bother to worry about his vulnerability as he rushed to pick up Vivi from where she'd fallen on the ground.

"Aw, isn't that precious?" he heard the woman on the stairs spit sarcastically. "I bet he's going to die for her too, what do you think?" Ron stood up, grasping his wand tightly.

"Don't touch her," he ground out between clenched teeth. The storm was heavier than ever now, the raindrops sounding like gunfire on the roof.

"Or else what?" the woman said, laughing. It was obvious that she took this whole situation as a joke. "You'll kill me?" Ron took a deep breath and shot a quick curse at her companion, knocking him back against the railing. "As if that should phase me," she responded, rolling her eyes. Quicker than Ron could react, she threw a curse at him. Ron flew back, knocking his head and watched as the room around him began to blur out of focus. He groaned as he stood up, his body sore already. He tossed a spell at her, which caught her just a little as she ducked out of the way. They continued with their fight, Ron not having the time to revive Viviana, and his opponent not bothered enough to revive the other victim. They fought around the living room, up the stairs and back down, down the hall, across the kitchen, and just as they were coming into the living room again, she hit him with a curse that took the last of his bearings. Ron fell down, breathing hard as he leaned against the wall. The woman paused a moment too, catching her breath, and as she lifted her arm to cast one last spell, the door behind her flung open and a figure stunned her down. Ron sighed in relief, blinking hard to straighten out his vision. The door was still open and it was still pouring rain, the clouds blocking out the early morning light. The figure crossed the foyer and knelt down next to Ron just as he was losing consciousness.

XXX

"Gone?" Harry repeated, dropping his fork with a loud clatter. Cosette and he had been having breakfast when Hermione came in, still dressed in a nightgown, her face pale and her eyes red. "Like, you can't find him or he left the manor?"

"I think he left for good this time," Hermione answered, her voice small. She sat down at the table across from them, her shoulders slumped in weariness. "I didn't think anything of it when he said he wanted just one more night. I didn't think at all. But he's gone. And I don't know if he's coming back, but I'm so tired of this leaving and hoping and waiting. He's dying now, he won't make it back."

"My supply of strengthening potion has gone missing," Severus announced, coming into the room. "I suppose we've already figured that Draco has left us?" Hermione nodded, sighing heavily.

"Well, we're going to have to track him down," Harry stated. "I mean, we did it before. We can use that signature charm again, can't we?"

"I no longer have the materials and there is no chance of asking for a leniency in the rules again. It was hard enough the first time," Severus said, crossing the room toward Hermione. "Come on, now, I'll take you back to your room." Hermione stood and followed, not speaking or making any move contrary to his order. They walked quietly for a moment, before Hermione spoke up.

"I'm never going to see him again, am I?" she asked softly. Severus sighed, stopping her so they were facing each other. With one hand on each of her shoulders, he searched her eyes for any sign of hope.

"I don't know," he said. "I honestly can't say how long he might last on the potion he took or the magic he's expending out there. What I can tell you is this: Draco loves you. He loves you like no other, and he's doing all of this for you. He's never been content in just one place; even as a child he was always moving from one task to another. He's ensuring your future and your son's future by expending himself, because he sees no other way to care for you."

"He could stay here with me," Hermione whispered, feeling herself grow numb to these situations. "He just runs off so much, I can't say I trust him to stick around forever."

"You can't, and I don't think he'd ever ask you to." Here, Severus paused, bringing Hermione closer to him as if imparting a secret. "All he'll ever ask is for you to love him, and even when you don't anymore, he'll never stop loving you." He stepped back then, continuing to escort Hermione through the corridors. Instead of ending up at her chambers, they came to a small wooden door.

"What's this?" Hermione asked, biting her lip and tracing the iron patterns on the door.

"The owlery," Severus answered, shrugging. "You'll find Draco's owl in there. Demon may be the only one that can track him down." With a small smile, he left. Hermione took a deep breath and started up the stairs behind the door.

XXX

Ron woke up, his head pounding and his body aching. Expecting to be on the floor, he was surprised to find himself on a rather enjoyable mattress. He stretched a bit, testing his body for sprains or breaks, and was again pleasantly surprised to find what excellent condition he was in. It took him a moment or two to gain the energy to sit up, but when he did, he noted that he was in Viviana's living room, and she was asleep on a mattress next to him.

"Oh, good, you're alive," a male voice said behind him. Dreading that he had been captured by the couple he'd had to fight, Ron turned around slowly.

"Malfoy?!" he exclaimed, his voice cracking through its strain. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well," Draco began, stretching out on his chair. "I'm dying, you see, from magical drain, and I came here to see what was going on with my castle project. I stopped by to get a room for a while, and found you being attacked by two old rivals of mine." He was interrupted here by a short tap on the window. Ron looked around sharply, wincing at the shot of pain in his muscles as protest to any sudden movements, but Draco was already opening the shutters for a tawny barn owl. It hopped inside and perched on a nearby lampshade while Draco untied the letter from its leg. Draco scanned the letter quickly, smiling to himself.

"Where's your sister living now?" he asked, pulling a pen from the desk drawer.

"462 Elizabeth Court, right in London," Ron answered, stretching his shoulders. "Why?" Draco wrote something on the letter and sent it off with the owl, smirking a little.

"No reason, really," Draco said, waving his hand in dismissal. "But as I was saying…"

"Ron?" Vivi whispered, just waking up. "Ron, what happened?"

"I don't know, but oh, I'm so glad you're alright!" Ron exclaimed, moving over to help her sit up. Once she was steady, he hugged her tightly. "I'm so sorry that I didn't get to you in time…they stunned you."

"With what?"

"A spell," Ron said, biting his lip. "The couple that was staying here, they're wizards too. And I don't know why, but they're out for us."

"I know why," Draco interrupted, cocking an eyebrow. "You should have just let me finish." But before he could, another owl flew in the window, this one much more familiar.

"Isn't that your owl?" Ron asked, but Draco ignored him in favor of untying his letter. Demon cried, the slow wail of a child, and flew back out of the window to land in a tree in the yard. Draco began to read his letter, and as it progressed, his brow became more furrowed, his jaw clenched tighter, and his eyes moved fast. He sat down, eventually finishing the letter.

"Bad news?" Vivi asked softly. Draco looked at her, his eyes blank and rather glossy.

"I can't tell," he answered, his voice so quiet, they could barely hear him. "It's from Hermione."

"What does Hermione have to say?" Ron asked nervously, scooting closer to Vivi to wrap his arm around her. Draco shook his head and folded the letter.

"It doesn't matter right now," he said softly, tucking the letter into his robes. "But I owe both of you an explanation of last night. You know about the binding spell, I'm sure."

"I don't," Vivi chimed in. Draco glanced over at Ron, who shrugged.

"Well, there was a war about a year ago, and all the survivors of the opposing side were trying to regain forces and pick up where their leader had left off when he was murdered. In an effort to quell this, I used an ancient binding spell to lock them all into a castle; this spell works until the caster takes it off, thereby ensuring that any remaining followers still loyal to the cause could be exterminated. Unfortunately, the spell's magic has been wearing thin lately." Draco took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead. "I can't support the spell with just my personal magic. It's killing me slowly, and if I don't take this potion Severus has provided me with, I lose consciousness. We were worried that my blackouts were leading to lapses in the magic, and when I arrived here, my fears were confirmed."

"You mean, that witch I fought was one of the prisoners?" Ron asked, his mouth falling open. "Is she a Death Eater too?" Draco nodded slowly, still rubbing his head.

"Her name is Rhiannon Montmorency. The other man is Malory Evengard. They were both prominent in the young circle of Voldemort's followers." Draco paused again. "They escaped the charm, which means we have to find a way to seal them in for good; when I die, it could break the charm and then we're back to square one."

"We should be able to figure it out. I mean, we found out how to get to you in six months, I'm sure we can come up with a solution for this in just about that," Ron said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It may be too late," Draco said softly, standing to leave the room. "I may not have that long to live."

XXX

A/N: There's really nothing new to say; I'm sorry these are dragging out for so many chapters. I have a concision problem, obviously. But I would like to know if anyone is interested in a third part to the series, perhaps involving Tristan? Let me know; I'll have to wrap it all up here if the answer is no.


	15. 15: It's Only Ever You

The storm blew in from the coast and settled over London, drowning the streets in heavy, wet raindrops. The winds were cool and smelled sweetly of spring as they tossed Ginny's hair around her face while she stood on her balcony. It didn't matter that she was soaked through and shivering just a little bit, she felt clean and refreshed and alive. Leaning over the railing of her seventh floor apartment, she saw a huddled figure stop in front of her building, and then rush inside. Smiling to herself, she decided that it was time for her to seek refuge as well. She walked inside slowly, taking one last deep breath of the saturated air, and moved to the linen cupboard for a towel. Halfway there, she heard a sharp knock on her door. Ginny abandoned her task in favor of answering, and she swung the door open wide and stopped.

This had to be a dream, a cruel trick played on her. Maybe she was hallucinating, or perhaps she'd died on her way to the door from the cupboard. It couldn't be real.

But he came inside and was kissing her feverishly, and it felt real, the way his fingers dug into her skin, the way his eyelashes dusted water across her cheeks, the way his hair tickled her skin. She was sure that hallucinations didn't cause weak knees and butterflies in your stomach, and if she was dreaming, she was sure that she couldn't have thought up the exact shade of his eyes or the way his lips were just perfectly bowed. He was still kissing her so passionately, so desperately, and he kept kissing her as he carried her to her room and laid her out perfectly on her bed. In a moment, their clothes had come off, ripped from bodies in a need neither had ever felt before, and they were sure they would never have to feel again. She traced her hands over his skin, lingering on sensitive spots, and trailed so delicately over that scar that had cost them both so much. He winced, closing his eyes and she looked at him for any kind of answer, explanation, but he never gave her one, and she moved on, letting the past fall away from them for this one exquisite evening. The rain kept pouring outside, the thunder crashing and the lightning giving them still shots of the night. It was surreal, and Ginny found herself drifting off to sleep in his arms, exhausted but happier than she could remember, without an explanation but satisfied in her ignorance. And if it turned out to be a dream, well, at least it had been a good one.

XXX

It was night then, and Draco had sent Ron and Viviana upstairs to her room for some sleep. He was guarding the door that kept in Rhiannon and Malory; Draco and Ron had stunned them, used a few body binding curses, and locked them up with Draco's jade handcuffs; this pair didn't have the unlocking mechanism he'd put in special for Harry's. It was as the clock downstairs was striking one that Draco pulled the letter out of his pocket and unfolded it slowly. Hermione's neat script stared up at him, the lines almost blurring all together.

_Draco-_

I know what you're doing seems heroic, and I know you think that by doing this, you're helping us, but it's selfish. How many times can I stay behind while you run off and try to play the martyr? And it isn't just that you left for seven months, and now you're gone again. It's that you left while I was pregnant, it's that you were gone right after our wedding. I'm beginning to think I don't even know you anymore. I'm sure Tristan hardly even recognizes you. I need to know where you are, or I need you to come home. Soon. Because if you don't…Draco, I'm afraid I may just get tired of waiting.

-Hermione

It was a brutal way to put things; so formal on paper, so cold, so distant. But how could he just stay at home and pretend things were fine when there was so much out there threatening this delicate post-war balance? If he hadn't shown up in Hopton when he did, Ron and Vivi might be dead. And Draco would have no more blood on his hands.

Sighing, he pulled a quill out of his cloak pocket. He turned Hermione's letter over and began to write. Maybe he was being selfish. Maybe he should bring them all here too, and together they could devise a plan. He'd proven to himself once already that he couldn't take this on alone, and the thought of dying without ever seeing Hermione or Tristan again left a cold ache in his chest.

_My dearest Hermione-_

I'm sorry. For everything and anything I have ever done to you, especially anything that made you think for even an instant that I don't love you with everything I have. I'm staying with Ron and Viviana in Hopton-on-sea; I felt that my presence was necessary if anyone was ever going to solve this problem with the castle. My lapses in consciousness have been breaking down the magical barrier; I'll explain more when you get here. Please come, and bring them all with you. I was wrong in thinking I could do all this by myself, and if we have any chance of fixing my mistakes, we'll take it on together.

All my love forever,

Draco

XXX

As the sunrise spilled across the sky and into Hermione's window, she was vaguely surprised to notice that a bird was perched on her bedpost. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, Hermione sat up and cursed herself for forgetting to shut the blinds. Six o'clock was far to early to ever be awake.

"Demon?" she whispered to the bird. The owl hopped over on the bed and held his leg out. She untied his letter with shaking fingers and pet his feathers before he flew out the window, crying in that eerie tone that gave Hermione shivers. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself for the worst, Hermione unfolded Draco's response and scanned it over quickly. He was alive, he was fine. She exhaled a little and read with more care. Her eyes flew over the text seven or eight times before she jumped out of bed and ran to Harry and Cosette's room. She knocked on the door excitedly, and only stopped when Harry opened the door.

"It's six fifteen in the morning, are you aware of this?" he said, his voice scratchy from sleep. "People don't wake up this early. Or if they do, there's something horribly wrong with them."

"I know, I'm sorry, but I forgot to close my curtains, so the sun woke me up!" Hermione exclaimed, her words rushing together.

"And you had to share your misery with me?" Harry asked, rubbing his eyes. "I mean, I figured you had a bit of a masochistic streak when you started dating Malfoy, but I never pinned you for a sadist. Until now, of course."

"Harry, Draco's staying with Ron in Hopton, and he wants us all to go out there and help figure out this castle thing. Harry, the magic's breaking down as Draco does. We have to stop it!" She stopped then, taking a deep breath, and stared up at Harry, who was seeming suddenly more alert.

"So if his health fails, the whole barrier will come down?" he asked quietly. Hermione nodded. "I'll go wake Cosette. Find Snape, he'll have to come too. But tell him to brew more strengthening potion- Draco's going to need it." Hermione nodded and hugged Harry quickly.

"Thank you," she whispered, and ran off toward the dungeons. Harry watched her go, happy to see she was back to being herself. Closing the door, he crawled back in bed and nuzzled against Cosette's neck.

"Harry, what're you doing?" she murmured, still half asleep. "That tickles."

"You have to wake up," he whispered. Cosette groaned and turned away. "Aw, come on. We're going to Hopton to see Ron and his new girlfriend. And Draco."

"Mmm, they found him? I knew he wasn't too far off," she yawned. "Alright. I'll get up on one condition."

"And what would that be?" Harry asked, smiling to himself. Cosette turned over so she was facing Harry and grinned.

"You go run a nice hot bubble bath for me, and then make me some cinnamon peanut butter toast." Harry laughed.

"You're too much sometimes," he sighed, getting up and staring her down by the bedside.

"But you love me!" she said in a sing-song little tone, and smiled so sweetly that Harry just had to agree.

XXX

Hermione rushed downstairs to Narcissa and Severus' rooms as fast as she could, which wasn't very fast at all, as she kept getting turned around and getting lost down trick corridors. When she finally found the door, she knocked loudly a few times, and was surprised to see that it was Narcissa who answered.

"Good morning," she said softly, smiling sleepily. "Are you alright, darling?"

"I'm fine, but Draco sent me a letter and he wants us all to meet him in Hopton to figure out a plan. I told Harry already and he said Severus will want to brew up some more strengthening potion…"

"Which I've already done," Severus interjected, coming up behind Narcissa. "Three months worth, to be precise. We're all set to leave after breakfast."

"You knew he'd tell us to come out to him?" Hermione asked, taken aback by his nonchalance.

"I didn't know exactly," Severus said quietly, putting his hand on Narcissa's shoulder. "But I know that he loves you. Did he send you any information on the state of the binding spell?"

"Only that his health is affecting it; he told me he'd explain more when we got there." Hermione took a deep breath and sighed. "He said that the barrier is breaking down."

"We'll leave after breakfast," Severus repeated, and it seemed as if his tone was a little more resigned. Hermione nodded.

"Go get ready," Narcissa suggested, squeezing Hermione's hand. "Tristan, too. He'll have to come." Hermione nodded and started off again. She made her way to the owlery, moving slowly. Maybe this wasn't a good idea; maybe just she should have gone. Wasn't this just putting them all in danger when it could have been just Draco, when it should have been just her? But then again, with them all there, they had a better chance of figuring everything out. And maybe, if they could solve this, maybe Draco wouldn't have to die after all. Hermione rushed up the stairs and scribbled out a quick letter to Ginny. She had a right to be there too; she was one of their strongest fighters, if it came to that, and she would want to be there for her brother. They were all coming together again. Hermione just hoped it would turn out better than it had before.

XXX

They were all gathered in the front parlor; Severus and Narcissa, Harry and Cosette, Ron and Viviana, Draco, Hermione, and Tristan. The only person left to come was Ginny, but they expected her a bit later. There were tea cups strewn about, and the warm, humid air kept drifting in through the windows. It was a lovely afternoon, really, and they were all so content to be together that they almost forgot about the looming threat just outside the front door. Draco eventually sighed, downing another vial of potion, and pulled Harry outside to talk.

"I'm keeping two former Death Eaters upstairs," he said softly, and Harry winced, feeling the danger grow ever closer. "They must have escaped from the castle; they were two I made sure were inside when the spell was cast. I assume it's during my blackouts that the magic fails, which means that when I die…"

"If you die…" Harry corrected sternly.

"That when I die," Draco repeated, staring at Harry with a strange look in his icy eyes. "The whole magical barrier will break, leaving you all with more than one hundred very capable wizards with too many reasons for revenge."

"So what do we do?" Harry breathed, rubbing his temples. "I mean, should we bring down the spell and hope we can fight them off?"

"There's no way we could do that," Draco said, shaking his head. "They're all much too powerful. We're far outnumbered."

"Could we just go inside the castle and take them out one by one?" Harry suggested. "Sneak around and surprise them when they're alone."

"The spell rarely fluctuates enough to allow a break for someone to get in or out; you have to be in the right place at the exact moment a fissure appears. It's terribly complicated." Draco ran a hand through his hair and fell back. "We don't really have that many options."

"There must be something we can do!" Harry exclaimed, his tone exasperated and dripping in irritation. "I refuse to just sit back and let you die for nothing. You deserve better than that."

"I put myself in this position, I deserve everything that comes from it," Draco said, his words quiet and tired.

"Oh, stop playing the goddamned martyr, Malfoy," Harry groaned. "I'm sick of hearing about how you're dying for your cause, to save your family. We've all got families now, and, like it or not, we're all part of one together."

"I never asked you to care whether I lived or died, Potter," Draco said softly, poison in his words.

"Yes you did, Malfoy," Harry responded, his voice just as deadly. "The minute you devoted yourself to Hermione, you asked us all to care. And even if you don't think that's legitimate enough, I would anyway. We all would. That's what friendship means."

"So we're friends now?" Draco yelled, jumping up and standing over Harry. "We're friends now, but before I saved your fucking life, you thought no better of me than you had of my father."

"I didn't mean that!" Harry yelled back, jumping up to level with Draco. "How was I supposed to know what you were doing? You never tell anyone anything! You always come up with these plans to save us all and end up getting us in more trouble than we were before!"

"Pardon me for trying to protect my family. God forbid you ever try to do the same for someone you love more than your own life. Or is that an impossibility for you, Potter? You couldn't even make up your mind between Cosette and that bitch I'm keeping upstairs. Should I give you the key to her room? Maybe you two can relive old times."

"You are such a bastard, Malfoy!" Harry screamed, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "You damn well know how I feel about Cosette, you know better than anyone!"

"Then how can you stand here and tell me I'm being stupid for putting myself on the line for Hermione? For Tristan? For all of you?" Draco stepped back, his cheeks flushed and his breathing shallow. He sat down, and Harry could see his hands shaking. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to them and I could have prevented it. It would tear me apart."

"Draco, I'm sorry," Harry said softly, sitting down as well. "This is just so…so…"

"I know, Harry," Draco whispered. "I know. It's frustrating. But until we can figure out what to do, I think we should try to keep things balanced here. I don't want anyone to worry more than they have to. Snape, you and I will try to work things out together."

"Hermione will want to help," Harry said. "She won't let you exclude her from this. Besides, she's really spectacular with research. Let us all help you, Draco. Please, if just to let them all feel as if they can do something. We've been going mad in this horrible uselessness."

"Okay," Draco conceded, sighing again. "Okay, I'll let them help." Harry smiled a little bit and sat back in his chair. They stayed in silence for a few minutes, watching the small town in the late afternoon sunshine.

"Mmm, is that Ginny out there?" Harry murmured, feeling his eyes being lured into sleep in the warm spring air. "But she's with someone…" he trailed off, sitting up straight and staring. "No way. That is not possible." Harry glanced over at Draco looking for answers, but Draco only smiled.

"Surprise," he whispered, sitting back in his chair. Harry stood up and called out to the approaching figures.

"Dillon, is that you?"

XXX

A/N: Oh, cliffhangers! And such a terrible one at that! Reviews are welcome, still looking for a willing volunteer to beta. :D


	16. 16: Slow Motion

"Dillon?" Harry repeated, stepping off the porch and moving to meet the two figures. Ginny smiled and ran up to meet Harry, throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him fiercely. When she pulled back, Harry noted that she looked alive in a way he hadn't seen since before the war; she was sparkling and flushed with color.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so happy to be back!" she breathed, her lips spreading into a smile. The man she'd been walking with finally caught up and extended his hand to Harry.

"Good to see you, Potter," he said, his voice friendly and tinged with humor.

"Tell me about it," Harry breathed, clasping the hand to reassure himself that it was real. Warm flesh, a steady pulse of blood... "I didn't think I would." Draco had moved down to join the group and he smiled broadly.

"Dillon," he said, grabbing the younger boy in a swift hug. "You have a lot of explaining to do." Dillon laughed; it sounded almost foreign in his throat, but it was melodic and brilliant all the same. Draco couldn't stop grinning.

"I assumed as much. It's not every day one gets to come back from the dead!"

Ten minutes later, they were all inside, settled once again in the parlor. The stir Dillon had caused coming in was riot worthy, but Ginny's arrival had everyone out of their seats as well. Draco had done his best to quiet them all down to give Dillon the chance to explain. He was sitting in an armchair, Ginny perched delicately in his lap.

"I never expected such a welcoming reception," he joked, taking a sip of the wine Ron had poured for everyone. "I suppose Tom Sawyer had it right after all."

"Tom Sawyer?" Ginny asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Muggle story," Hermione explained. "He faked his death and hid out at his own funeral, hearing how much everyone had loved him." Ginny smiled, kissing Dillon's cheek.

"So?" Ron said finally, sitting on the edge of his seat. "Care to explain how you got here?"

"Oh, I apparated with Ginny," he said, smirking just slightly, a trait he must have picked up from Draco while the two lived together. Ron sighed exasperatedly and Dillon conceded with a laugh. "Okay, okay, I'll explain myself. Well, I don't know if any of you knew how I was supposedly killed?"

"During the last battle," Harry said, sitting down and taking Cosette's hand. Dillon nodded. "There were so many casualties. I don't think any of us thought to decipher the curse."

"That's because there was no curse," Dillon continued, his tone explicit and clear. "I was stabbed. Right between my ribs. I suppose my attacker wanted me to hurt more than a simple avada would have allowed. I think it was his wife I killed."

"But I was there," Ginny whispered. "I saw you, I watched you die." She shivered, and Dillon pulled her closer. He hadn't explained anything to her yet; she'd been content to forget what had happened, if only for the night.

"A wizard's life is connected to more than just his mortal being. His magic is what ultimately sustains him. Since it was only my body that was ruined..."

"Your magic stayed alive," Hermione finished. "I've heard stories about these kinds of things. But you need some sort of sustenance for your body, at least until you can be supported by an outside source of magic." Dillon nodded, the corner of his mouth curling up in a smile. Hermione looked at him, feeling as though there was more to his story.

"I was stabbed clean through with a fairly standard dagger. Key word being through."

"I pricked my fingers on the blade tip," Ginny said softly, showing Dillon the scars on three of her fingers.

"Oh my god..." Hermione breathed, standing up suddenly and rushing to look at Ginny's outstretched hand. "You saved him, you know that? It was you!"

"What...?" Ginny asked, looking between Hermione and Dillon, the latter smiling and hugging her just a little tighter.

"By allowing some of your blood into me, your willing gift of what powers one's life...that's what allowed my body to continue functioning through my magic. The healers found me, and one of them was sensitive enough to pick up on that. I was in a coma for months at St. Mungo's. They only just released me last week." Everyone stayed silent a moment more, absorbing the power of the words this young man has just shared. "I guess I ought to go to Hogwart's and take down my tombstone." Ginny smiled, snuggling into Dillon's lap, as everyone else laughed and started talking again. The occasion was somber, but the warmth of being all together again was permeating the room and making it just a little bit easier to handle. After dinner, prepared by Draco and Viviana, as the whole group was sipping tea around the table, Harry spoke up.

"I know we're all avoiding this, but I think maybe we should start thinking of a plan," he said softly. Everyone knew what he was referring to; even Dillon had been updated on the state of things.

"Do you think we should interview the two upstairs?" Hermione suggested. "I mean, they might be able to give us some information on what was going on inside the castle." Draco shook his head.

"They're not likely to give us any information. She's far too stubborn to help us, even if it meant ensuring her own freedom," he explained. "We really just need to find a way to fortify the spell." He turned to Severus. "Are you sure that it won't stay up if I die?"

"Draco," Hermione breathed, grasping his hand firmly. "You are not going to die for this." The blond ignored her and continued to wait for Severus to respond.

"I'm not completely sure, no," the older man eventually said, sighing. "But if lapses in your consciousness are creating gaps, I'm fairly certain your death would bring the whole thing down." Draco nodded, looking back down. Harry ran a hand through his hair and let it fall to the table.

"I hate feeling so useless," he said. "We keep going round in circles...it seems like there's no way to figure this out. We can't bring the barrier down, because there's no way we could win that battle. We can't fortify Draco's magic, but we can't let him die..."

"Wait, Harry," Hermione interjected. "What do you mean by fortify Draco's magic?" The brunette shrugged, letting his head fall into his hands.

"I don't know, but I'm pretty sure you can't just feed someone magic to make them stronger," he said, his voice muffled through his palms.

"Dillon..." Draco started, exchanging a look with Hermione. "Dillon, you said that Ginny's blood helped to sustain you so your magic could focus on keeping you alive?"

"Yes," Dillon answered, his brow furrowed. "But I don't know what that..." He trailed off, his eyes widening in understanding. "Blood magic is tricky business, Draco. You know that."

"I know, but ancient magic can't be much better. I've dabbled in my fair share of dark arts, I think I can handle it," Draco answered. The rest of the group looked back and forth between the two men.

"But you know the risks involved for the focus!" Dillon exclaimed, his voice quiet but forceful. "We have to find another alternative to this. I can't let you put yourself in that kind of danger."

"Damn it, boy, I'm already in danger!" Draco shouted, slamming his palms into the table. "And if we don't come up with a plan soon, I'll be dead and the whole of this town is going to have one hell of a mob on their hands. There will be no more deaths on my account, can't you understand that?!"

"So your own death doesn't matter then?" Dillon yelled back, standing up. "You have a family now, you have to care for more than just yourself, despite the fact you do a lousy job at just that!" Draco took a deep breath, his icy eyes focused on Dillon.

"And you're one to talk, I suppose. You always did such a smashing job taking care of your own life," Draco spat, his tone positively venemous.

"So I know what you're risking," Dillon said softly.

"We all know what you're risking," Harry added, just as quietly. "And we're not doing this for you, Draco. You don't know how tough it would be for us to lose you."

"All of us," Cosette whispered. Draco looked around the room a moment before sinking into his chair. The color had drained from his face; Severus handed him another vial of potion.

"Hermione," Draco said, his voice soft and rough. "Tomorrow I'll need you and my mother to go back to the manor; Lucius' library is almost fully intact. I want you to bring back every book you can find on blood magic, binding spells, and anything you can acquire about spells with multiple points of origin. We have a lot of research ahead of us."

"Then it's a good thing you have me," Hermione whispered, kissing his cheek. "We'll figure this out. Don't worry."

"Can't help it," he ground out, a rueful smile on his face. Silence fell around them, smoothing out tension and anger.

"I'll start the dishes," Ginny finally said softly.

"I'll help," Cosette offered. Viviana stood too and the three women left the room, shortly followed by Severus and Narcissa excusing themselves to bed.

"I suppose it's time for me to set up the extra rooms for our guests," Ron said with a shrug. "Wouldn't want anyone to sleep in the bathtub." Harry smiled as Ron left the room.

"Want me to go check on Tristan?" Draco offered, lacing his fingers with his wife's. She shook her head.

"I'll go. I'm tired anyway, I'll just go to bed now." She stood and leaned down to kiss Draco. "G'night."

"Night, love," he responded, kissing her again. She wandered off smiling. With just three of the ten left, the room seemed much colder and quieter.

"Blood magic, huh?" Harry began quietly. Draco nodded.

"No matter what we choose to do, there will be a risk involved. I just hope we can figure this all out before..." Draco trailed off, and took a deep breath. "...before it's too late."

"You obviously have never studied with Hermione before," Harry joked. "That girl is the reigning champion of quick and thorough research."

"It'll be fine," Dillion said, his voice unwavering and sure. "We have the best witches and wizards of our generation, plus Snape and your mother."

"I know," Draco groaned, rubbing his temples and closing his eyes. "I just wish there was a simpler way to have done this." Harry opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Draco continued. "Nothing from you, Potter, I don't want to hear it."

"How'd you know I was going to say something? Your eyes weren't even open!" Harry exclaimed indignantly.

"I know you, Potter. Better than you'd like, I'm sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry laughed.

"You and I, we're kindred souls. Dillon too. Three of a kind, if you will. We are all far beyond fucked up."

"And what, that makes us soulmates?" Harry asked, a bit sarcastically.

"Absolutely," Draco said confidently.

"I don't know how I feel about that," Dillon said, smirking again.

"I only concede if I get to learn the trademark smirk," Harry exclaimed.

"Never," Draco said, laughing. "It looks best on me, anyway."

XXX

The morning rose cool and bright, the spring heat wave finally subsiding. Viviana had prepared an early breakfast, and Narcissa and Hermione were already dressed and ready to head back to the manor. Severus was trying to convince the older woman to allow him to accompany them, but she was holding firm.

"Absolutely not," she said, taking a delicate bite of toast. "The Malfoy women are known for their strength and perseverance, I will not be coddled by you Snapes. Besides, it's my home. I know how to get around."

"Please, Narcissa," Severus groaned, pouring himself another cup of tea. "If only to ease my own worries."

"No," she repeated, wiping her fingers on her napkin. "Hermione and I are going to spend the day together. Harry and Ron aren't busy, I'm sure, why don't you see what they're up to?" Severus shot his lover a look and she smiled, kissing him lightly as she stood up. "Ready, Hermione?"

"Um, I suppose," Hermione said, smiling apologetically at her former professor. "We'll be back by dinner, Vivi, is that alright?"

"Seven o'clock sharp!" came the answer, following the two women out the door. Narcissa took a deep breath of the dewey morning air and sighed.

"Men," she breathed, her face cracking into a smile. "If they can't do it their way, it shouldn't be done at all."

"Tell me about it," Hermione answered, her lips pulling into a smile right as they disappeared out of town.

XXXXXXX

a/n: ...this chapter is total shit. i'm sorry. BUT I AM GOING TO FINISH THIS VERY VERY SOON.


	17. 17: Hell On The Horizon

Hermione and Narcissa arrived at the manor moments later, and with a steely smile, Narcissa pressed forward into the front hall.

"This place always gives me chills," she said softly, looking over to Hermione. "I don't think I'll ever learn to like it here."

"Draco loves it," the young woman responded, running her hand along the wall as they made their way to the library. "I think he's rather set on moving in here."

"He can have it," Narcissa exclaimed. "I'm moving to the south of France as soon as I can convince Severus it's high time he retired and stopped making so many children's lives miserable." Hermione smiled, waiting as Narcissa pushed the door open and lit the fire.

"Namely Harry and Ron's lives, but I suppose he doesn't have to stop that, even if he does retire."

"Precisely! You wouldn't mind explaining this to him, would you? France will be good for him. He's so pale..." They both laughed then, moving around the room to dust off the bindings and check titles. A pile of possible books was building around the coffee table; they'd sort through the tables of contents later, and then decide what to bring back to Hopton-on-sea.

"What...do you know anything about blood magic?" Hermione finally asked hesitantly. Narcissa took a deep breath.

"I know that the Dark Marks the Death Eaters bear are a form of blood magic. I don't know exactly how it works, but it...was horrible. To watch, to hear. I never cared much for any of them, but sometimes they'd bring in a young boy and his screams..." She broke off and shivered. "But apart from that, I don't know much. It's a powerful and dark form of magic. Not many dare to try."

"I thought so," Hermione murmured, deciding whether or not _Do Not Attempt At Home: Dark Magic for the Advanced Sorcerer_ was worth checking out. She shrugged and tossed it over with the rest. "The way Dillon was talking though…It scares me."

"I know, love," Narcissa breathed, hugging an especially large tome to her chest. "It scares me too. But I trust that we'll be able to figure this out together, before we lose Draco." She paused here, swaying slightly on her feet. "As much as I hated what Lucius did, he was the only family Draco and I really had. He took care of us, at least until Draco acted out."

"But you can't possibly think that was worth it?" Hermione asked incredulously, crossing the room to her mother-in-law and dropping a book on her way. "I mean, he treated you both so poorly!"

"It was only worth it because it got me to where I am today. But sometimes, when I really think about it, I miss him a little bit." The two women faded into silence at the weight of those words, the fire crackling softly in the grate.

"Mrs. Malfoy…" Hermione began, her voice sounding out of place in the moment.

"Oh, hush, you silly girl! Call me Mother. I am now, and a Grandmum to your sweet little child." She smiled then, her past words forgotten for the time being and began to search for more books. "_The Ultimate Guide to Blood Magic_…Think that's worth a try?"

"Oh, let me see!" Hermione exclaimed, leafing through the pages with renewed fervor. "Perfect…_Chapter 12: Blood Work In Teams, or How to Cast a Spell in Groups_. This is exactly what we need!" The pair sat down on the red velvet couch and began to read. The longer the words trailed on, the sicker Hermione began to feel. "This can't be real…" she whispered, turning a page to read through a spell.

"Oh, yes, this all sounds fairly familiar. I think this is how Voldemort devised his plan for the Marks." Narcissa shivered, taking the book and dog-earing the page. "It's nasty business, you knew that already."

"But we can't do this to Draco, it's awful!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up and looking horrified. "I mean, drain all but a quart of his blood?"

X X X X X

Draco was sitting again on the porch, drinking a glass of water intermittently with his potion. He hated letting them know how much weaker he'd been feeling lately; only Severus knew how much of the potion he'd gone through already. He was sipping at it slowly when the screen door creaked open and revealed Harry, drinking what appeared to be coffee in a big blue mug.

"Coffee, Potter? Offending the Queen Mother, are we?"

"You're drinking more potion?" Harry asked, sitting down and ignoring Draco's questions. "You just finished one less than an hour ago."

"I didn't sleep well last night, it always wears me down a little more. That's all."

"You're lying."

"And you're going to prove that how?" Draco retorted, taking another swig of potion.

"I'm not sure," Harry responded, pulling his knees up and sipping on his coffee. "I'm not sure I even have to. I just hope they find what we need back in your library."

"I'm sure they will," Draco said, sighing. "So long as I didn't burn it already. I'm sure Mother knows where they kept the blood contracts for the Death Eaters anyway, she was always better with filing than Lucius."

"Blood contracts?" the other man asked, furrowing his brow. "What's that got to do with anything?" Draco paused, searching Harry's eyes for a moment. It was unnerving, the intensity of his stare, the way the hair on the back of Harry's neck stood up as if he was being examined from the inside out. As if Draco still wasn't sure how much trust he could put in him.

"Voldemort uses blood magic to bind the Death Eaters to him. It's an unbreakable bond, both the giver and the receiver of a blood pact are in danger and there's a form of magic born of that that gives each a certain power over the other. Unless you know how to tap into it, there's no way to control it, but Voldemort knew how. He'd drain the inductee of all but a quart of his blood and inject it into his own veins. Then he'd put some of it back, never enough to give them any glimpse of power over him and they'd be bedridden for days after." Draco paused, finishing the rest of his potion and looking away. "But after the ceremony, Voldemort would have the power of whoever's blood he'd taken in. By the end of it all, he was bolstered by the lifeforce of over two hundred Death Eaters."

"So this contract states…"

"Exactly what will be done to them, and then it's signed in blood before the initiation. Binding after that, you can't go back once your name is on that paper." Draco shrugged and turned back to Harry. "Fucked up what he did to them, isn't it? And they kept coming anyway."

"You think we'll have to do something like this to you?" Harry asked softly, afraid of the answer.

"Anything to do with blood magic is dark and dirty and ancient. None of it is pretty or safe."

"But what will we have to do to you?" Harry asked again. Draco sighed, shaking his head.

"I honestly don't know."

X X X X X

"We're home!" Narcissa called, her voice echoing through the house. It was early afternoon, and they were home before they expected.

"Did you find anything?" Harry asked, coming in to meet the women in the front hall.

"Unfortunately, we did," Hermione said, her face still a bit pale. "I don't know about this, Harry, I mean, can't we find another way?"

"What other way, Hermione?" Harry asked, hands on her arms as if to steady her. "We're running out of time, and if Draco and Dillon think this will work…"

"Where is he?" she interrupted. Harry pointed upstairs and she ran off. She found Draco laying on their bed, reading a very old dusty book.

"Machiavelli's _The Prince_," he explained. "Found it in the bedside drawer." Hermione smiled sadly, kicking her shoes off and curling up beside him. He put his arm around her, closing his book and kissing her head. "What's wrong, love?"

"I don't want you to do this, it's too dangerous." Draco pulled her closer to him and sighed.

"There are no more options left. What did you find?"

"We found this book, and a whole chapter on group spells. We'd have to drain you of all but a quart of your blood, cut you open and each of us put some of our blood back into you." She stopped, squeezing her eyes closed to keep in her tears. "But they say that you could die if we don't do it right. How do we know that we'll do it right?"

"But if we don't do it, I'll die anyway, love." He pulled Hermione closer and rested his chin on her head. "I'm getting weaker. The supply Severus brought with him is going twice as fast…we didn't expect this to get exponentially worse."

"Promise me that everything will be okay."

"I told you once before, and that stands. Everything will be just fine."

X X X X X

Dinner was quiet and tense. Narcissa had imparted the plan to the rest of the group but no one felt right talking about it in front of Draco. Vivi was trying her best to keep the mood light, but she felt the undercurrent of things she didn't understand. It wasn't until she brought out her homemade cheesecake that the night set off.

"Really, Harry?" She heard as she came in with plates and fresh berries. "You really think that anything you say is going to change my mind or make this any better?"

"All I'm suggesting is that we find a different spell!" Harry spat back, standing to look down on Draco. "I'm looking out for you, you bloody prat!"

"There are no better spells in blood magic! Don't you fucking get it?" The blond yelled back, his complexion paler than usual.

"He's right, Harry," Dillon interjected, accepting a cup of tea from Vivi, who was still flitting around in vain. "The other spell we find may require us to drink his blood or for him to sign some sort of pact."

"Which is impossible, as I'd be signing a pact with a house. Castle, really, but you get it," Draco said, sitting back down to sip at his own tea. "There are no more options at this point. We might as well just accept that." Here, he paused, taking a deep breath and looking around the table. "In fact, why don't we do this tonight?"

- - - - - -

A/N: Here's number 17. I suppose there will only be one or two more chapters, and hopefully before holidays. R & R, if there are any of you left : )


	18. 18: You're My Thrill

The dining room had been cleared of everything- the paintings, the rugs, the credenza. All that was left was the dark walnut table, centered in the room, with candles floating by the walls. Ron, Dillon, Ginny, Severus, Narcissa, Cosette, and Harry were all standing in the kitchen, not talking, trying to not look at the table that had begun to resemble a medieval rack in their minds. Vivi had taken Tristan up to her room, and now they were just waiting for Draco and Hermione to come down.

"God, I can't even imagine being her right now," Dillon breathed, rubbing his forehead as if the thought itself had hurt him.

"What do you say to someone when you know they could die?" Harry responded. "She has so much hope, but we really don't know what will happen."

"I don't think they're saying much of anything right now," Cosette said softly. "They already know."

X X X X X

As soon as dinner was over, Draco followed Hermione into their room, where she was giving the baby to Vivi to take care of until this was all over. Vivi smiled when she saw Draco waiting by the door, but soon rushed off up the stairs.

"Draco, I-"

"Shh…don't say anything," Draco whispered, putting his fingers over Hermione's lips. He stepped closer and replaced them with his own lips, kissing her slowly and deeply. "If I die, I want to die knowing that I loved the most beautiful, exquisite girl in the world. And I want to know she loved me too."

"I'll always love you, you already know that," Hermione gasped, shivering as Draco's fingers trailed up her spine underneath her shirt. He pulled back and divested her of the top, moving to devour her collarbones and trail his hands down to her skirt.

"But I'll never get tired of proving it," he breathed against her skin. In sudden motion, he picked her up and threw her on the bed, climbing on top of her as he pulled off his own shirt. Hermione was breathing hard, arching her body against his.

"I love the way you get when you're like this," she confided. "It's the only time you ever lose control." Draco smirked, his cheeks flushed and his hair mussed up.

"It's all your fault," he said, before pulling her skirt all the way off, undergarments included. "I just can't help myself when I'm around you." He was panting as Hermione undid his belt and slowly unzipped his pants. "You're too much for me."

"And you'll never be enough for me," she answered. Draco leaned down and kissed her fiercely, positioning himself against her. He pulled back long enough to look at her, resting his forehead against hers.

"Do you wish me to continue?" he breathed, knowing exactly what this meant to her and exactly why he had to ask it tonight. It wasn't only permission to be with her, this time it was permission to go ahead with the spell. Hermione searched his eyes for a long moment. She could have looked into those endless icy orbs forever.

"Never stop," she whispered, diving into those dark waters where she never could see where she was going or where she'd end up.

X X X X X

An hour later, they were all positioned around the table, save for Draco spread out on top of it. Dillon and Severus stood at the heads of the table, while Cosette, Harry, and Narcissa stood on the left, leaving Hermione, Ron and Ginny on the right.

"Let's go over this again," Harry said softly. "Dillon will make a cut on each hand, and we let him bleed it out for how long?"

"Ten minutes," Hermione answered. "Exactly."

"Right," Harry continued, pushing his hair back nervously. "And then we each go for…?"

"One minute. About. To the count of sixty-six," Dillon responded, taking a deep breath. "You think you're all ready?" He looked around at everyone nodding their heads and then finally down to the man on the table.

"Do it," Draco said with a fierce conviction, holding his hands up for Dillon's blade. The younger man grabbed his right hand and made a deep cut from pinky to thumb, locking his eyes on Draco's the whole time. He took his left and did the same. The blood started to drip off of his palms, across the table, onto the floor. It sounded like it was counting for them, a drop for every second. Four minutes in and Ginny was pulling out her wand to dry off the floor before someone slipped.

"How are you doing?" Hermione asked softly, her voice shaking.

"I'm starting…to…" Draco trailed off, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm losing it."

"He'll probably pass out," Dillon interjected. "Totally normal. When he regains consciousness is when we know it's working."

"I love you," Hermione whispered into Draco's ear. He smiled but didn't respond.

"He's so pale…" Harry noted, starting to feel peculiar about the whole process. "It's like we're just watching him die."

"We may be," Narcissa answered. "It's up to us whether or not he lives."

"Nine minutes," Dillon announced.

"Shouldn't we have ten people doing this, if he's bleeding out for ten minutes?" Ginny asked, still trying to keep all the blood off the floor.

"I think we'll be okay, they didn't mention anything like that in the book," Hermione responded.

"I don't know, I feel like we'd need to give him back what was taken, you know?" the redhead continued, flicking her wand again. "And can we please find a way to keep his blood off the floor? It's kind of eerie." Cosette pulled out her wand and transfigured two candles into bowls.

"This should work," she said, moving them underneath his hands.

"That almost looks creepier," Ginny said softly, shrugging.

"Ten minutes," Dillon breathed. "I'll go first." He took the blade and cut his right hand in the same way. He grasped Draco's hand. "Count for me," he said, and handed the dagger to Cosette, beginning the recitation. "As the blood of my heart touches yours, so I shall touch your heart. As your heart beats against my hand, so your heart touches mine. My loyalty shall be yours. My courage shall be yours. The strength of my heart shall flow through your veins. When there is need, I shall be strong for both of us. This I swear to you." Everyone stood silent as Dillon held on to Draco's hand.

"You're done," Harry breathed, watching as Cosette cut her hand too. She almost whispered the incantation, and Harry could see tears gathering in her eyes. He grasped her other hand, squeezing as if he could give her some of his strength, too. Slowly, each member of the circle put a little of themselves into Draco, ending last with Hermione.

"As the blood of my heart touches yours," she started, her voice shaky. "So I shall touch your heart." She stopped, taking a deep breath.

"You can do it," Ron encouraged her, giving her a small, sad smile. "He needs you more than anyone." Hermione nodded.

"As your heart beats against my hand, so your heart touches mine. My loyalty is yours, my courage is yours." Another pause. No one could look at her, knowing the weight of the moment, the bearing this had on her. "The strength of my heart flows through your veins. Where there has been need, I have been strong for both of us. This I have sworn to you."

"It's over," Dillon said, putting down his watch. Hermione grasped Draco's hand a moment longer before letting it fall. Cosette picked up her wand and sealed the Draco's wounds, before moving around the circle to everyone else. Ginny banished the vats of blood, casting another quick cleaning charm to banish the remnants of the past half hour.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked, still visibly distressed.

"We wait," Dillon answered.

X X X X X

It had been another hour and Draco still wasn't awake. His breathing was slow and shallow, almost imperceptible. They had brought the dining chairs in and were sitting around the table, making little conversation. Hermione had stayed silent, watching her lover intently.

Vivi came down, Tristan cooing in her arms. She gave the baby to his mother, watching as Tristan snuggled against her. "What's his status?" she asked softly.

"Still no response," Severus answered.

"Ron, I took some more of that well water this morning, just in case. Should I bring it in?" Vivi asked, sitting on her lover's lap. The redhead pulled her closer and kissed her throat, before looking up.

"Severus?" he asked, directing Vivi's question to the elder man. He nodded and shrugged.

"It can't do any harm," he said, standing and crossing to the door. "In the kitchen?"

"Yes, it's in the blue bottle on the counter," Vivi answered. Severus left, and Narcissa followed.

"You've been so quiet," she said as she passed into the kitchen behind him. "This is hard for you, isn't it?"

"I just remember being there for all those initiations…hearing them scream and watching them bleed. We killed a few, you know. Too much drained and never enough returned." Severus grabbed the bottle from the counter, closing his eyes and breathing deep. "I never wanted to see Draco do that, and it's like a flashback to every bad dream I ever had. I just wanted him to live a normal life, the kind that none of us were blessed enough to have."

"I know," Narcissa said, folding herself up in his arms. "I know exactly what you mean. And when this is all over…"

"Will it ever be over?" Severus whispered, his face buried in her long, platinum hair.

"I don't know," she whispered, holding him tighter. "We've waited so long, I just want…"

"I'll retire," Severus said suddenly. "The minute Draco wakes up and we can stabilize him, I'll send an owl to the school and retire. Then I will move you to the beaches of France, just like you've always wanted."

"Are you sure?" Narcissa asked, pulling back from him to look him in the eye. He kissed her long and hard, and nodded.

"Never been so sure in my life." They stayed a moment longer in the kitchen, holding each other, before they parted to go back to the dining room.

"Look," Harry said as soon as they came in. "Tristan keeps grabbing Draco's hand, like he knows what happened."

"I wonder…" Cosette started, looking between Narcissa and Severus. "Should we let him?"

"I don't know, darling, that's pretty dangerous. I've seen it done, and sometimes…" Narcissa trailed off, shaking her head.

"You're not considering letting Tristan do what we've done?" Harry asked, watching as Vivi poured the sparkling liquid into Draco's parted lips, holding him up so he could swallow. "He's just a baby!"

"I know, but maybe he needs just that little extra bit of magic…" Cosette said softly. "No, you're right. Nevermind."

"Let him," Hermione interjected, her voice strong and sure. "Give me the blade." Everyone watched as Dillon unsheathed his dagger once more and handed it to her. Hermione first cut Draco's wound open again, letting a little blood drip out before she took her child's hand. "Ready, baby?" she whispered, and made the tiniest incision. Tristan didn't cry, but instinctively reached for his father's hand and held on for a moment. He pulled back and Hermione healed his cut immediately. Vivi handed her the water and she let him drink some before he cuddled up against her chest and started to sleep.

"He's fine," Narcissa said softly, squeezing Hermione's shoulder. "You're very brave."

"I just hope it works…" the younger woman whispered, looking up to her mother-in-law.

"Draco's strong. He has so much to live for, I'm sure he'll fight through this."

"You should all get some rest," Severus announced. "You'll need to replenish yourselves as well."

"I'm staying here with him," Hermione said firmly and, to her surprise, Severus nodded.

"Wake us if anything happens," he said to her, and pressed his hand to her shoulder briefly before filing the rest of them out of the room. The candles were still lit, but a few more had gone out, leaving the room bathing in a soft glow. Tristan was sleeping in her arms, and her husband was still laying spread out as if on a mortician's table.

"Draco," Hermione whispered, not sure if he could even hear her. "I want you to know that I'm sorry for everything, anything, that I have ever done. All the fights, the trouble with my friends, and especially for my infidelity. I want you to forgive me, but I'll understand if you can't." She sighed, feeling silly for talking to him like this. "I want you to be there to watch our son grow up. He looks so much like you, I want you to be there to make sure he turns out like you too. You're the greatest thing that ever happened to me, Draco Malfoy. You know that, don't you?"

"I know," a raspy voice came. "But only because I know exactly what it feels like to have someone like that in my life."

"Oh my god," Hermione breathed, standing and helping Draco sit up. "You're okay, oh, thank the gods."

"I feel a little lightheaded, but I think I'll be alright," he said, smiling at his wife, who was close to tears. He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her hard, making sure he made her just breathless enough to keep her quiet. "I could hear you all the whole time. It was the strangest sensation, being here but not. I can't believe it was Tristan that ended up saving me." Draco smiled at the baby, pulling him into his arms and watching as he cooed and snuggled up close. "Remind me of this when he grows up and I have to punish him for something. On second thought, don't. I don't want him to get away with anything."

"Draco, what I said before…" Hermione started, looking down at their intertwined hands.

"I'd forgive you to the end of the world and back, love," he said softly. "And this time, and I really mean it, this time, I am not going to leave again."

"You better be serious," Hermione said in a mock threat. "Now let's go wake everyone else up so they'll stop worrying."

"They know better than to worry," Draco joked, getting off the table. "I'm a Malfoy. We're harder to get rid of than you'd think."

"I'll remember that," Hermione laughed, rolling her eyes. She weaved their fingers together again. "But I guess it's a good thing that I never want to get rid of you, isn't it?"

X X X X X X X X X X

A/N: SO HERE IT IS. ANOTHER CHAPTER. I think the next one will wrap it all up. Please let me know if you'd like a continuation on these, like a third in the series. I may write one anyway regardless of what you people think! But I promise it won't take another 4 years.


	19. 19: Breathe Out

"We'll take questions, now," Harry said, running a hand through his hair. "Yes, you first."

"Do you think your successful execution of the Magia Nelle Vene spell was due to extenuating circumstances or could this be used more widely spread?" A wizard asked, standing up in the third row of the lecture hall in the Ministry of Magic.

"I don't recommend trying this at home, no," Draco chimed in, standing up and crossing toward Harry. "Blood magic is dangerous; it is unruly and unstable. I very well could have died if even a little mistake had been made. Fortunately, the group performing the spell was comprised of the most talented witches and wizards of this generation, likely this century. The fact that the spell is still holding two months later is somewhat of a miracle."

"You mentioned that your son helped complete the spell- isn't he only an infant? Doesn't that mean he is of extraordinary magical capability?"

"He probably is, but that's really of no concern to the Department of Mysteries," Draco answered, his voice dropping lower.

"Well, he'd be classified as a Person of Potential Interest. I'd like to set up a meeting with you and his mother…"

"No," the blond growled. Harry put a hand on Draco's chest to stop him; they met eyes and Draco backed down slightly.

"I think that's an inquiry for another time," Harry said softly, slowly taking his hand away. "Any other questions?"

At this moment, an owl came swooping down from the rafters, landing neatly on Harry's shoulder. He unwrapped the message, scanned it quickly, and passed it to Draco.

"We have to go, ladies and gentlemen," he announced, picking up his bag and swishing his wand to clear the stage again. "It's been lovely to talk to you, any other questions can be owled to us at your convenience." The crowd began to murmur and adjust in their seats, but Harry was already halfway up the aisle, Draco close behind.

"But wait! What about the…" But the voice trailed off as the doors shut behind the two men, already rushing to their apparation spot.

"She's not due for another two days, how is she going into labor now?" Draco asked, grabbing Harry's arm and flicking his wand. They disappeared with a snap and landed just outside of Malfoy Manor.

"I don't know, but fuck, Draco, what am I supposed to do?" Harry paused, grabbing his friend's arm. His eyes were frantic, slightly blurred behind his glasses. Or were those tears?

"You go up there, and you hold her through it, and you welcome your child into your family. The rest you sort of learn along the way." Draco squeezed Harry's shoulder tightly for a moment, and then continued on. "Just don't worry about it yet."

"Oh, right, that's going to work," the brunette grumbled, following into the manor. Up three flights and down a few hallways until they reached that all too familiar door.

"Here we go," Draco whispered, and pushed it open.

"Oh, gods, I'm so glad you two are here," Hermione gushed, rushing into her husband's arms. "Can you watch Tristan a moment? Harry, come with me." She shoved the baby at his father and pulled Harry away. "Poppy's not here yet, but I gave her the initial potion. She's in a little pain, but she'll be fine for the moment. Here," she said, pushing back a curtain. "Go to her." With a little nudge and a smile, Hermione left. Harry took a deep breath and stepped inside, letting the fabric fall softly behind him. The bed was sectioned off and the resulting room was warm and lit with soft violet light.

"Hey," he whispered, coming to sit on the bed. Cosette was lying there, amidst bundles of white sheets, breathing shallowly. Her hair was splayed out in a fan behind her, her normally porcelain skin was flushed, and her eyelashes fluttered gently on her cheekbones. "How are you doing?"

"Mm, Harry, I'm so glad you're here," she said, reaching for his hand without opening her eyes. "I'm doing just fine, waiting for the nurse is all." He squeezed her hand. "I didn't think this would be today, I'm sorry I interrupted your hearing."

"No, no," Harry answered, leaning down to kiss her fingers. "That's not important. I wouldn't miss this for the world. I love you." There, she opened her eyes, that striking cobalt blue even more vibrant in the light. She smiled.

"Love you too," she breathed. Madam Pomfrey came bustling in then, a whirlwind of spells and potions and 'Step back, Potter!' Harry tried his best, but wouldn't let go of Cosette's hand to save his life.

"Come on, love, breathe deep now," she was saying, her voice comforting. "Just one more little push and…"

"Oh, gods," Cosette sighed, collapsing back on her pillows. Her breaths were uneven and heavy.

"Drink this now," Madam Pomfrey instructed, thrusting a vial at her. Harry helped her pour the liquid down. "Well, congratulations you two. You have a healthy, beautiful baby boy."

XXX

"Ron, come on!" Vivi called, grabbing up her purse. "We have to hurry, the next bus comes in ten minutes and then not for an hour after that!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming, hold your thestrals!" Ron yelled back, still milling about upstairs.

"I don't know what a thestral is, but I think you'd be in more of a rush! Your best friend is having a baby!"

"No, his fiancée is. And besides," Ron continued, coming down the stairs. "We already did this with Hermione, we're old hands at this baby thing."

"Still," Vivi responded, pulling him out the door. "This is one of the most important moments in his life, you need to be there!"

"Right then," the redhead responded, grinning mischievously. "Hold tight then!" And with a flick of his wand, they apparated to the front garden of the manor.

"What was that!?" Vivi exclaimed, still grasping onto Ron. "I told you, no magic without warning me first!"

"Oh, sorry," Ron answered, kissing her briefly before heading inside. "I thought we were in a rush."

"We are," she responded, swatting him away as they raced up the stairs. "But a two second warning would have been appreciated. I'm new to this whole magic thing, remember?" They paused just outside the bedroom door.

"Next time I'll tell you," Ron said softly, leaning down to kiss the blonde again. "Promise."

"Ron, Vivi!" Hermione exclaimed, rushing over to hug them both. "Oh, I'm so glad you're here." Draco stepped up, Tristan cooing in his arms.

"They're still in there with Poppy," he explained. "Your sister and Dillon are downstairs with Severus and my mother, they're preparing dinner. Despite the staff of house elves, which Hermione has insisted get full wages, benefits, holiday hours…"

"Oh, I know that trick," Ron sighed, rolling his eyes. "Some things never change, I suppose."

"I think quite a few things have changed since second year, thank you very much!" Hermione scoffed.

"Yeah, you're ignoring the fact that Malfoy is a complete and total tosser. Before you could see it quite clearly."

"Watch yourself, Weasley," Draco warned. "I'm not above dueling you for the honor of my family's name."

"Yeah? I could take you!" Ron challenged, his lips turning in a half smile.

"Especially since you stopped using Spell-o-Tape to hold together that pathetic excuse for a wand."

"Oh, it's on, Malfoy! You miss being a ferret?"

"Guys!" Harry called, peeking his head out of the curtains. "Come here!" The two stopped instantly, pausing only to look at each other before heading across the room. Filing in one by one, they all stopped to look at the bundle cradled in Cosette's arms.

"It's a boy," she whispered, looking up. Harry leaned down next to her, taking the baby into his own embrace. He stood again, crossing to the group. A shock of blue black hair peeked out from the blanket.

"Oh, Harry," Hermione breathed. "What's his name?"

"Haven Aurelius," he answered, stroking a finger down his son's cheek. The baby opened his eyes and looked up. One emerald green eye, one cobalt blue.

"He's beautiful," Draco said softly. "Congratulations."

XXX

Days turned to weeks, and before anyone noticed, the leaves had begun to change and drop off the branches one by one. September was warm and sunny, unusual for England, but welcomed by the students at Hogwarts, who could be found lounging across the grounds for most of the autumn. Harry had reclaimed his position in Defense Against the Dark Arts when the new year started; he and Cosette had bought a small house in Hogsmeade, outfitted with a nursery for their new baby boy, that he went home to every night. Two weeks before the wedding, they invited over Draco and Hermione for dinner.

"I just can't believe it's so soon," Cosette breathed, sipping on her glass of wine and rocking Haven in his cradle. "This whole year has been so…so…"

"Chaotic?" Harry chimed in, coming to sit down after doing the dishes. The other three laughed softly.

"Tiring, I'd say," Hermione offered.

"Worth every second," Draco said, looking down at his one-year-old son sleeping in his arms. "I won't say I wouldn't change anything, but where we are now…this is perfect."

"I'll agree with that," Harry sighed, leaning back. "After the wedding, everything will be just right." All four looked at each other, smiling slightly. Quiet descended for a moment, a comfortable, familiar silence. The earthy smell of leaves drifted in through the window, seeping into their clothes; the breeze was warm where it danced with the curtains.

"Harry," Draco began, his voice low and almost soothing. "How do you like your job?"

"Oh, I love it," Harry answered, smiling. "Hogwarts was my first real home, it feels right to be teaching there. Especially Defense…after all, who knows more about it than we do?" he laughed. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, my mother wants Severus to retire, and he doesn't want to leave the position in the hands of someone less than capable, so he and Dumbledore have asked if I would like to step in as the new Potions teacher and Head of Slytherin House."

"Oh, Draco, that's wonderful!" Cosette exclaimed. "Are you going to do it?"

"I hadn't decided yet," Draco said, shrugging. "Albus said that he'd be fine with letting me Floo home to the Manor every night and on weekends, and he'd set up an apartment of sorts here in case I needed to stay some nights. But Hermione, would you be all right all day alone with Tristan? We could get a nanny for him. Or I can always stay home."

"Draco," Hermione began, turning to her husband and smiling. "When Tristan gets older, I may want to get out and get a job, but the only thing I want to worry about is my family. We've been through so much, the simplicity of what we have is enough for me. If you want to do this, I'm behind you fully. Besides," she continued, her lips curling into what may have been a smirk, "It'll be nice to get rid of you for a few hours every day." Draco arched an eyebrow, but soon leaned over to kiss his wife.

"I agree with the women, Draco," Harry said. "For once, they may have it right."

"For once?" Hermione interjected. "Oh, you've gotten cocky haven't you? I remember when it was 'Hermione, help me with my potions!' or 'Hermione, can you write this History of Magic parchment for me?'"

"Or how about 'Hermione, help me with this lesson plan!'" Cosette added. "And that was just last week!"

"Well, you know what?!" Harry said indignantly.

"No, Harry, we don't. Why don't you enlighten us?" Hermione purred, breaking into laughter with Cosette.

"Oh, forget it," Harry sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat. "I agreed with you, isn't that enough?"

"For now," Cosette said softly, lacing her fingers with Harry's and leaning her head on his shoulder. "For now, this is enough."

XXX

"Are you boys ready yet?" Hermione asked, poking her head into the room Ron, Draco, Dillon, and Harry were dressing in. "I mean, honestly, how long can it take to put on clothes?"

"Its hard work, looking this good," Dillon said, straightening his tie. "I mean, you think we just roll out of bed looking this devastatingly handsome?"

"Speak for yourself, Rossi," Draco chimed in, leaning back in his chair and swirling his glass of whiskey. "Some of us were born this way." Hermione scoffed.

"Well, you have five minutes to be out there. Hurry!" She shut the door sharply and hurried off.

"It's just you left now, mate," Harry said to Ron, who was leaning against the wall next to the mirror. Harry took one last glance at himself, ran a hand through his hair, and turned to face his best friend. "You better buckle up or else she'll get cold feet, too."

"I know, but I'm taking this one slow. I don't exactly have the best track record." He shook his head; he'd never get used to the eerie feeling of déjà vu his premonitions gifted him.

"Don't we all know it," Draco said, finishing his drink and standing. He crossed to stand with Harry and Ron, Dillon following. "Well, Potter, are you ready?"

"I hope so," he answered, his smile crooked and his cheeks flushed. "I've never felt so sure of anything in my life, but I don't have the best track record either." They all laughed.

"Take care of her," Draco said, grasping Harry's shoulder tightly. "I know you will." A sweet silence descended over the four men, as they all looked from one brother to the next.

"Let's go," Harry said finally. "I'm ready." They filed out the door and into the waiting room outside the chapel. With one last glance back, Harry pushed open the double doors and strode confidently to stand at the altar, with his best friend Ron at his side. Draco and Dillon stood next to him, filling out the ranks. The music began; Ginny, Vivi, and Hermione walked down the aisle to meet their counterparts. There were very few people in the pews; Severus, Narcissa, Remus, Dumbledore and a few Hogwarts teachers and past students, but it was intimate and quiet and just the way they wanted it. The music pulsed into a crescendo and the doors opened for Cosette, standing at the end of the aisle in a soft, flowing white gown. She walked slowly, her eyes riveted on Harry the whole time. The first half of the ceremony was blur; the two stared into each other's eyes, speaking on a different level than the words of the priest could convey.

"Harry, do you wish to share your vows?" Harry looked up sharply, fumbled for a moment, reached into his pocket to pull out a scrap of paper, and nodded.

"Where there has been cold, you have brought warmth; where my life was dark, you have brought light. Time may pass, fortune may smile, trials may come; but no matter what we may encounter together, I vow here that this love will be my only love. Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again. I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my life with you, caring for you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life has for us, and I vow to love you with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how... completely and forever." Harry looked up, meeting Cosette's eyes. She smiled.

"Cosette, do you wish to share your vows?" Cosette nodded, pulling out a piece of paper from her bodice.

"From this day forward I promise you these things: I will laugh with you in times of joy and comfort you in times of sorrow. I will listen to you with compassion and understanding, and speak to you with encouragement. I will help you when you need it, and step aside when you don't. I will remain faithful to you for better or worse, in times of sickness and health. I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams.

And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, and to be true and faithful for as long as we both shall live." Harry grabbed her hands, lacing her fingers with his.

"Harry James Potter, do you take this woman as your wife?" Harry smiled, taking a deep breath.

"I do."

"Cosette Genevieve Lestrange, do you take this man as your husband?" She bit her lip, her eyes glossy with tears.

"I do."

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." And Harry did, sweeping her up in his arms and kissing her softly. The whole company stood and cheered, the couple's kiss falling into sweet laughter as the music began to play again. And they all filtered out, pictures being snapped, hugs and kisses shared in abundance, and for once, they all forgot the darkness of their past. They let the terror and the death melt away in the pure ecstasy of the moment, and looked ahead. Tomorrow was a new day, as with each after that, and each of those days held a new gift and new love and new life, such things they had never gotten to take for granted before. Everything was just fine, but then again, they were more than fine. Everything was blissfully, beautifully perfect. And maybe it wouldn't stay like that forever, but for now, that really was enough.

XXXXXXX

A/N: That's it. The sequel is done. I apologize that it took so long, and if I write a third (Tristan/Haven based?) I won't post it until I have the time to finish it. Thank you all so much for taking this ride with me; I appreciate the support and continued interest. As always, please review with any questions/concerns/criticisms and I will try to correct any errors. xo.


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